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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29241537">Queer Twilight: One-Shots</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/T_E_Reynolds/pseuds/T_E_Reynolds'>T_E_Reynolds</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:22:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>43,975</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29241537</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/T_E_Reynolds/pseuds/T_E_Reynolds</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of five one-shots from the Queer Twilight Series. Flashbacks from minor characters.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Billy Black/Charlie Swan, Carlisle Cullen/Esme Cullen, Edward Cullen/Emmett Cullen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Carlisle Cullen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I only included the major romantic relationships/characters. There are many cameos from other side characters throughout all 5 chapters.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The rain was coming down in a torrential downpour, pelting against Carlisle’s thin cloak. He stood there, allowing his clothes to soak completely through to his skin, lacking any ability to care. The graves at his feet- one freshly dug- each had a fresh bouquet of wildflowers at the base, though he knew that they would be swept away in the storm as soon as he had turned his back and left them behind. The gravestone on the left read, ‘<em>Gabriel Cullen</em>.’ The one on the right, with a fresh mound of dirt on top that was quickly turning to mud, read, ‘<em>Peter Hallewell</em>.’</p><p>If it were possible for him to cry, Carlisle would have done so… Peter had been his last connection to Gabriel. His sons were gone. There was nothing for him here now, in the quaint little town where he had grown as a child and protected a family of his own as a man. Perhaps there would be nothing for him in this life ever again… He would have to find some way to exist with that possibility- Not that he had a choice in the matter.</p><p>Carlisle knelt down by the graves beneath the willow, the hole in his heart doubling in size as he wished- more than anything- that he were in the ground next to them. Gently, he touched the name on the left gravestone and whispered, “I love you, Gabriel. Give your mother a hug for me… Goodbye, my son.”</p><p>He did the same for Peter, then got to his feet. He hoped that the sun had set enough for him to enter the town without drawing attention to himself; He had one <em>final</em> piece of business there before he left it behind for good.</p><p>The trees flew past him as he ran through the woods at a speed that would have been impossible were Carlisle still human. He reached the town square quickly- pleased to see that it was empty save for a straggler here or there- coming to a sudden stop in front of an old church that he was all-too-familiar with; He knew it from cellar to rafters. He knew of the hidden space behind a loose board on the wall, where he had spent many a fearful afternoon hiding from his father’s lectures when he was younger. He knew where every scratch and cigar burn had been carelessly etched in the wooden floors, covered by rugs and pews that sat at odd angles to hide the damage. He knew that what he was here for would be cumbersome, and that he would have to depart quickly as soon as he was through, so that he would not be seen.</p><p>Carlisle gripped the flint and steel in his pocket, hesitating for a moment before darting quickly through the heavy double-doors. The inside was exactly the same as the last time he’d been there. The large wooden cross was behind the pulpit, its imposing presence casting a shadow down the pews as the final rays of sun set through the windows behind it. Carlisle walked over to stand in front of it, delicately touching the soft wood with his finger. He <em>could</em> just leave it here with the rest of the rubble… But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. His human memories may fade over time, but he never, <em>never</em> wanted to forget where he came from.</p><p>He lifted the cross easily in his arms, though he knew it to be well over two-hundred pounds; Hand-crafted, solid oak. Holding it over one shoulder, he pulled a large clump of hay from the deepest of his pockets. He scattered it haphazardly along the church floor, making sure to get every corner, draping the edges of the tapestries lining the walls near the tinder. When he was finished, he produced a flask full of alcohol from another pocket, sprinkling it around until it was empty.</p><p>Carlisle stood by the front doors, dropping the now empty flask on the ground in front of him. He balanced the cross on the doorframe, pulled the flint and steel from his cloak, and took a deep breath. Though he no longer needed it, the action gave him some small measure of solace in his decision he’d made.</p><p>“Goodbye, father.” He said quietly. “If there <em>is</em> a God… May he have mercy upon you… and I, as well.”</p><p>He lit one of the wet piles of hay by his feet, standing back as it caught. He lifted the cross in one arm and ran, coming to a stop when he arrived at a steep cliff that looked down on the town. The church was fully ablaze now, and he could hear the crier ringing his bell, calling for aid as the flames grew. Carlisle hoped that it would be too late to save it- that it would burn until it was nothing but ash and charred remains.</p><p>He turned away, heading towards the cave where he had taken his last breaths as a human; It was as safe as anywhere else, he supposed, to hide his memoirs for now. Far enough from civilization to not be disturbed for a long while. He reached it in minutes, though it had taken him <em>days</em> to get there from the village the first time he’d travelled there, when he’d hunted the creatures that had turned him. It was still vacant, with only a few torches for light and a small desk and chair in one corner that Carlisle had made himself. He tilted the cross on its side to get it through the narrow opening, then leaned it upright against the taller of the cave walls as he lit the torches he’d hung ages ago.</p><p>He stood back for a moment, admiring the wood that he and Tobias had whittled themselves on a hot summer day. He had been taught the proper way to hold the sharp tools, and had been <em>very</em> proud to have only gouged himself three times on the birdhouse that he had been instructed to practice on before being allowed to help work on a thing of such importance. It was the <em>only</em> time, now that he thought about it, that he could <em>ever</em> remember Tobias looking at him with pride… Not that it mattered much <em>now</em>, since Carlisle had been the one to take his life in the end.</p><p>He sighed, sitting down on the small chair and holding his head in his hands. He stayed that way for a long while. Days, maybe. Until the candle that he had lit upon the desk began to flutter and fade, and the torches along the wall had long gone dark. Perhaps, if he stayed here long enough, he would simply cease to exist. Perhaps there <em>was</em> a heaven where his sons, and his wife and mother waited for him… Or perhaps that eternal rest was barred to him now, thanks to his transformation into the very thing that he <em>loathed</em>.</p><p>Still, his compromise <em>was</em> working, and the familiar burn in his throat was beginning to flare impatiently; He needed to hunt. If he were to go too long without feeding, he would risk harming any innocent human who was unfortunate enough to come across him when he <em>did</em> finally succumb to his instincts.</p><p>Carlisle stood, glancing down at his cloak that was now crusted with dried mud. He would have to wade through a creek on the way back. There was a river nearby that he knew attracted all sorts of big game.</p><p>When he left the cave, the sun was high in the sky, nearly midday. The light glanced off of his face as he ran, but he focused on locating his quarry. There would be no humans this far into the woods, not unless they were already dead. No one would see him, he was sure.</p><p>The river was only a few minutes away from his cave, and he slowed as he neared, not wanting to frighten anything that had chosen to stop and drink. As he watched the edge of the stream patiently, a sound that he had not expected cut through the stillness of the air, and the two bobcats that had been lapping at the water raised their heads. Carlisle turned his in the same direction, where he had heard-</p><p>“<em>HELP</em> <em>ME</em>!” The voice called again. It was a woman… But what was a <em>human</em> doing this far out into the wilderness, even if it <em>was</em> still light out? Had a beast attacked her?</p><p>Carlisle abandoned his prey, running to where the screams were getting louder. When she paused for breath, he could hear someone else… <em>laughing</em>?</p><p>He came upon them in a small clearing not far down the mountain; A human woman with frantic blue eyes and tousled brown hair, her back against a tall tree. The man that was laughing turned to face Carlisle, his fangs exposed and dripping with venom.</p><p>“This is <em>my</em> meal, <em>vagrant</em>.” The other vampire hissed, his scarlet eyes flashing in anger as he took in Carlisle’s disheveled appearance and coal black eyes. The sun was glinting off of his skin, but it made no improvement to his horrifying appearance. “Go and scrounge up your own.”</p><p>“Please…” The woman whispered. “<em>Please</em>, let me go home to my children, please-“</p><p>“Now, now, I’ll make this quick… Or <em>not</em>.” The man said, advancing on her with a sinister smile as she trembled.</p><p>Carlisle darted over and stood between them, snarling viciously. Through his bared fangs, he hissed, “<em>Leave</em>. Or die.”</p><p>The vampire cackled. “Whelp- Do you have <em>any</em> <em>idea</em> who stands before you?”</p><p>“Do <em>you</em>?” Carlisle sneered back, the corner of his mouth twitching.</p><p>The red-eyed vampire lunged at him, but Carlisle was ready. He dodged the attack easily, seizing his arm and flinging him into a tree at the opposite end of the clearing. It shattered, the sound like a crack of thunder through the air.</p><p>The woman screamed again, and Carlisle turned to her. “Run! <em>Go</em>!”</p><p>She obeyed, staggering through the trees away from them towards the village.</p><p>He turned back to face his adversary just as he was tackled to the ground. They struggled for a moment before Carlisle was able to push him off, gripping his wrist and tearing his arm off at the shoulder.</p><p>The monster snarled, but wasn’t fazed. He lunged again, and Carlisle dodged, wrapping one arm around his neck and pinning him to the ground. In one smooth move, the monster’s other arm was tossed clear into the trees, vanishing into the dense brush.</p><p>“Do you concede?” Carlisle asked calmly, kneeling on the red-eyed vampire’s back.</p><p>“<em>Never</em>!” He snarled, trying in vain to push Carlisle off of his back. “What sort of abomination chooses the life of a <em>human</em> over one of its own kind?”</p><p>“<em>You</em> are the abomination, not I.” Carlisle sneered. “I am <em>nothing</em> like you.”</p><p>The vampire laughed, grinning widely up at him over his shoulder. “My coven will avenge my death, young one… You will be the instrument of your own destruction.”</p><p>“So be it, then.” Carlisle said, and tore the head from his shoulders, silencing the monster’s laughter forever.</p><p>Carefully, he inhaled the scent of the vampire below him. He stood, then darted over to where he had seen the arm vanish. He found it, as well as the other, then tossed the limbs and head onto the rest of the body. He could already see the fingers twitching as the monster tried to piece himself back together. The flint and steel flashed, and the body went up in a thick cloud of smoke- sickly sweet and purple hued.</p><p>Now, what to do first; Check on the girl, or locate the rest of the beast’s coven? The girl, he decided. He walked over to where she had vanished, inhaling carefully and trying to distinguish <em>her</em> scent from what he knew to be birds, squirrels, and rabbits. He found it, slowly dissipating, but still distinct. Sharper and sweeter than the fauna giving him a wide berth, waiting for him to move on.</p><p>He flew off into the trees, following the scent of the woman he had saved. It grew stronger the more he caught up to her, and he slowed as he neared, as not to startle her should she see him approach. The trees around him were beginning to thin, and he could see a small farmhouse on the outskirts of the village. He hid behind a large tree trunk and peered around it, keeping himself hidden as he focused on the figures in the distance.</p><p>She had only just made it home by the looks of things; She had burst through the fence gate and called for her husband. He had swung the door open with such force that the top hinge had broken, and it was now hanging at an odd angle. Her three children spilled from the door after their father, calling for their mother as her husband wrapped his arms around her, imploring her to tell him what had happened, where she had gone. She had only been in the garden for a <em>few</em> <em>moments</em>, he was saying.</p><p>Carlisle watched the reunion from his place in the shadows, and the hole in his heart seemed to ache a little bit less… Perhaps he <em>could</em> still do some good in this world after all. He smiled as he ran back up the slope of the mountain into the deeper wood, now following the scent of the vampire he had disposed of; It was faint, and he had to double-back a few times when he’d gone in the wrong direction, until finally he had lost it entirely. Whatever coven the monster had belonged to, Carlisle would <em>not</em> be finding them tonight.</p><p>He wandered the countryside for a few months, feeding on whatever animals he could find- once even settling for a few rabbits when he had gotten desperate. While he travelled, he was able to kill <em>fourteen</em> other vampires that he had come across, ones that had refused to leave their prey alone. One person that he had saved in the first week- a younger man who was himself a Witchfinder in training, as Carlisle had once been- recognized him for what he was, and thanked him with a cow from his fields. The young man had promised Carlisle that he would of course spare vampires like him, should he ever find any. Though Carlisle assured him that he was more than likely the only one.</p><p>Finally, he went to the center of London, wanting to see the city one last time before he swam South for France and Germany. He waited until nightfall before allowing himself to wander aimlessly through the streets. He had been here once before, on business with Tobias. It hadn’t been a <em>pleasant</em> trip. If he remembered correctly, four women were burned in the square that he was passing now. He still wasn’t convinced of their guilt to this day.</p><p>There was an inn a little way down the road, and Carlisle entered, wiping his boots politely on the rug as the innkeeper greeted him.</p><p>“Evenin’, sir.” The man said. He was short and bald, with a round belly and a thick black mustache that was longer than his face was wide and curled up at the ends. “How may I help you?”</p><p>“I’d like a room, please, if you have one.” Carlisle said. He pulled his old credentials- that he’d forged to alter his birthdate- from his pocket and handed them over routinely. “Carlisle Cullen, Witchfinder. I’m here on official business.”</p><p>“<em>Are</em> ya now?” The innkeeper asked, his thick eyebrows raising as he examined the documents. “’Bout that one in the florist shop, eh?”</p><p>“Yes, indeed.” Carlisle said automatically, though he had been lying about his '<em>official</em> <em>business</em>.' “Tell me what you know of her.”</p><p>“<em>Freaky</em> li’l thing, she is.” The man hissed under his breath. “Flowers bloom in the strangest o’ weather, never a brown spot nor a wilted leaf on <em>anythin</em>’ she grows, even in dead winter… It’s not <em>natural</em>. An’ some people say they seen her go off into the woods, an’ she doesn’t come back till near <em>sunrise</em>, a bag full o’ who <em>knows</em> what… An’ she’s got all the young men in town under her spell, at least <em>three</em> ‘ave proposed marriage this week alone.”</p><p>“I see…” Carlisle said, trying to keep his tone even; If the girl in question was indeed a florist, then might the bag contain <em>saplings</em> of some sort? Tools of her trade? There was no <em>law</em> against going for a walk at night, although that <em>would</em> be inadvisable in a city as dangerous as London.</p><p>“Well, if yer here for <em>her</em>,” The man continued. “The room is yours, free o’ charge- <em>One</em> week only! I’m not a lord o’ nuthin’.”</p><p>“Much obliged.” Carlisle nodded, accepting the key the man handed him, careful not to touch his skin directly with his own.</p><p>“Top floor, last door on the left.” The man waved him on, picking up his quill and looking back at the books on the desk.</p><p>Carlisle went to the Mayor’s office the next morning, showed him his credentials, and inquired about any suspicious activities that had been reported. The Mayor told him the same thing as the innkeeper had; The girl at the florist shop downtown had been suspected of witchcraft since childhood, but it had never been properly investigated. The claims were insubstantial. Still, most of the public had remained adamant. <em>Particularly</em> the Sherriff, who told Carlisle that he was so <em>sure</em> of the girl’s guilt, that he would tie her to the stake and light it himself if it came down to it.</p><p>He stayed in London for a few days, observing the girl; She was young, barely a day over eighteen. Her hair was blonde and curly, with eyes so green they must have shone in the dark. Carlisle was skeptical of witchcraft from the start, but he <em>highly</em> doubted that a girl this young would dapple in such a dark subject- Not when she spent her days basking in the greenhouse behind her family’s estate, tending to her flowers and walking her dog under the watchful eye of one of her two elder brothers. Her father- an elderly man with massive wealth who had since retired- doted on her entirely, providing her with her every desire at the drop of a hat. His wife had died years earlier of the pox. Carlisle could see nothing in any of their day to day activities that suggested any involvement in the occult.</p><p>On the evening of the fourth day, Carlisle entered the shop just before closing time, when the sun had set far enough to provide adequate shade beneath the tall buildings. He took of his hat and held it in front of him, seeing the girl behind the counter arranging a bouquet.</p><p>“I’ll be right with you!” She said cheerily, smiling at him briefly before going back to her task. She had a slight accent, French judging by the inflection. She finished her arrangement and came over to stand in front of him. “I am Giselle. Are you looking for something special?”</p><p>“Not today, no.” He said, smiling back at her. “I was looking for something for my wife- Do you have any suggestions?”</p><p>It was a lie, but she happily showed him around the shop, showing him the fresh bouquets that she had put together that morning. By the time Carlisle had selected one and paid for it, he was certain that the girl was no vampire, or werewolf, or shifter. Nor was she a witch, if such a thing existed. Only a young girl with a natural talent for botany. Carlisle thanked her for the flowers, and went straight to the Mayor to inform him of his findings.</p><p>The Mayor was disappointed, but paid Carlisle a meager fee for his efforts, despite the indignant protests from the Sherriff. Carlisle thanked him, tipping his hat politely to an old woman who was staring blankly at him from her seat while two men at either side of her- her sons perhaps, judging by their youth- spoke to a few of their colleagues.</p><p>It was drizzling outside now, and Carlisle walked briskly back to his room at the inn. The innkeeper inquired about the girl, and scoffed when he was told of her innocence.</p><p>“Still think she’s a <em>witch</em>…” Carlisle heard him mutter under his breath.</p><p>Back in his room, he pulled out a map and tried to decide where to go next. He knew that he wanted to find <em>vampires</em>, not ‘witches’, and scanned the area for secluded towns, where he knew his kind to frequent for easy kills.</p><p>There was a sharp knock at the door a few hours later, and he looked up at it curiously.</p><p>“Come in.” Carlisle said, pulling on the spectacles that he only wore for show.</p><p>“Witchfinder?” The innkeeper asked, poking his bald head around the door as it creaked open. “Ya’ve got a visitor.”</p><p>Carlisle watched as the old woman who had been at the Mayor’s office entered the room, leaning on a knobbed cane for support.</p><p>“Leave us.” She told the innkeeper. Her voice was much firmer than her frail body would have indicated, and the man obeyed her without another word, casting Carlisle a nervous glance before the door closed.</p><p>Carlisle stared at her, waiting. When she said nothing, he asked, “May I assist you with something, madam?”</p><p>“Perhaps, <em>Carlisle</em>.” She said, stepping forward and looking up into his golden eyes. “Tell me, my friend… Do you not recognize me?”</p><p>Carlisle stared into the deep brown eyes that were observing him with curiosity and apprehension… and he <em>knew</em>- though she was much older now than she had been when he’d last seen her- exactly who she was.</p><p>“<em>Gretchen</em>?!” He asked, staring down at one of the sole survivors of the attack that had claimed his life. “But… <em>How</em>? You must be-“</p><p>“Eighty-nine.” She smiled, and he noticed that she was now missing several teeth.</p><p>“The years have been kind to you.” Carlisle said, smiling back down at her.</p><p>Gretchen laughed. “They have been <em>much</em> kinder to you, my old friend.”</p><p>“Who were those men you were with?” Carlisle asked, quickly changing the subject; He didn’t want to discuss his transformation, not yet. He just wanted to catch up with an old friend, to feel <em>normal</em> again for just a moment.</p><p>“My <em>sons</em>.” Gretchen explained, beaming up at him. “Robert and I had twins, shortly after you, um… died. Their names are Harry and Thomas.”</p><p>“I’m very happy for you.” He said, knowing now exactly how it felt to lose one’s children. The loss of their first children had devastated her and her husband. “And Robert? How is he?”</p><p>“Dead, five years now…” She said, her smile faltering.</p><p>“I’m sorry…” He told her, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.</p><p>Gretchen reached up with one withered hand and placed it over Carlisle’s. He froze; The difference in temperature was obvious to her. She looked up at him with a pained expression in her eyes. “I’m sorry too, my old friend… For everything you’ve been through… and for what <em>I</em> <em>have</em> <em>to</em> <em>do</em> now.”</p><p>Carlisle had a moment’s warning before her sons barged into the room; One of them held an axe. The other a torch.</p><p>Not stopping to think, Carlisle leapt out the window, shattering the wood around it and landing on the ground below. There were screams around him as he ran, but he soon realized that they were not for him, though some of the townspeople near the inn still stared at him in shock.</p><p>The loudest screams were coming from the florist girl, who was being dragged onto a platform in the center of the square by the Sherriff. Behind them, her brothers and her father were being held back with their arms tied behind them, desperately fighting against their captors.</p><p>“Gerard!” Giselle cried over her shoulder, where her brothers were being held back, their hands tied behind them. “Gaston! Help me! I did nothing! I’ve done <em>nothing</em>! Let me <em>go</em>!”</p><p>Her pleading was cut off by the jeers from the crowd, and Carlisle saw that the innkeeper was among them, making himself taller by standing on a barrel of ale. Behind him, Carlisle could hear Gretchen instructing her sons to go after him, but he was rooted to the spot, horrified at what he was witnessing.</p><p>“The so-called ‘<em>Witchfinder</em>,’” The Sherriff sneered after he finished tying Giselle to a post on a thick bed of thatch. “Was a <em>scoundrel</em> and a <em>liar</em>! We have it on good authority, from our <em>own</em> renowned Witchfinder the Lady Gretchen, that the one who calls himself Carlisle Cullen, <em>died</em> many decades ago! She witnessed this <em>herself</em>!”</p><p>The crowd shrieked and gasped in unison, and the Sherriff smiled maliciously as he continued. “Therefore, this girl’s innocence cannot be determined by a <em>dead</em> <em>man</em>! By a walking corpse… A <em>vampire</em>!”</p><p>The crowd erupted into chaos, many mothers clutching their children tighter in their arms, covering them with their shawls.</p><p>“Now, now, my friends, your Sherriff will not allow such <em>filth</em> to remain in our beloved London,” He crooned, then turned back to where the girl was struggling against her bonds, weeping and begging to be released. “This girl has been suspected of witchcraft for her <em>entire</em> <em>life</em>! Her cordial interaction with the blood-drinking <em>demon</em> now proves that these rumors are <em>truth</em>! No longer will the people of London live in fear! From this day, any witch, or anyone <em>harboring</em> a witch, shall be put to <em>death</em>- NO exceptions! Hang the men! The girl will <em>burn</em>!”</p><p>“<em>NO</em>!” Carlisle shouted involuntarily, just as Gretchen’s sons burst out the inn behind him.</p><p>Carlisle saw the innkeeper turn in his direction and point him out to the frenzied crowd. “<em>There</em>! The vampire! <em>Get</em> <em>him</em>!”</p><p>Carlisle had no choice. He ran from the square, hating himself as Giselle’s shrieks cut through the air, the flames licking slowly up her body. He should have known better… He should have never come to the city… This was <em>his</em> fault. He couldn’t live among humans, that much was clear now; Anyone he helped would be hurt were he to be discovered again. He had no other option but to live in hiding.</p><p>He ran back in the direction of his home, not stopping until his thirst became too powerful to ignore. There were a few deer nearby, and he managed to grab one of them and drain it completely before looking for somewhere to shelter for the night. A small clearing with an overhanging of thick tree branches over it seemed like a good enough spot- It didn’t look as if it was going to rain.</p><p>Carlisle sat down on the hard earth, staring up at the few stars that he could see through the leaves. The moon was full, and a few beams of light passed down onto his face. He looked back down at his hands, placing one of them in the path of the light; It wasn’t as sharp as direct sunlight, but there was still a slight shimmer to his pale skin. The rainbow colors that danced there were muted slightly, as if they’d faded like old paint on a canvas.</p><p>He sighed, laying back lazily with a dull thump on the ground. As he stared upwards, the memory of the girl’s screams- caused by his very <em>involvement</em>- tore at him again. It pained him more than Gretchen’s betrayal had… After all, he <em>had</em> been the one that had told her to do it, <em>decades</em> ago. They had all <em>promised</em> each other- Gretchen, Robert, and himself- that for their children, <em>none</em> of them would allow the others to become what he was now. She had only lived up to that promise, and Carlisle couldn’t blame her for that.</p><p>Carlisle began to sob, though no tears spilled from his now dead eyes; He missed his sons. He missed his wife. Hell, he even missed Tobias. The taste of his father’s blood still lingered on his lips, the <em>only</em> human blood he had ever tasted. The memory flashed in his mind and he grit his teeth, the sharp snapping sound causing a flock of birds to take flight.</p><p>If only there were others like him, others of his kind who still <em>valued</em> human life, vampires who weren’t like the unhinged monsters that he had killed while protecting the town where Gabriel and Peter had lived. He had never encountered one, neither as a human, nor as an immortal… He <em>had</em>- for the briefest moment as Gabriel lay dying in his bed- considered turning them <em>both</em>, but he hadn’t been able to do it. That would have been selfish of him. He could not condemn another person to this life.</p><p>Carlisle laid there in the dirt for hours, considering his next move. He wanted to have someone around, a companion of any sort. <em>Making</em> one was out of the question, so he would have to <em>find</em> one… He recalled the young Witchfinder boy whom he had helped some months ago. Perhaps he had found others like him, as he had told Carlisle that he would try.</p><p>He leapt to his feet and took off running in the direction of the man’s homestead. He reached it in an hour or so, just as the sun was cresting the horizon. The man’s rooster crowed at the same moment that Carlisle knocked on the front door.</p><p>The young man- taller than most, with shaggy red hair and green eyes- blinked in shock when he saw who was standing at his doorstep.</p><p>“<em>Carlisle</em>!” He smiled sleepily. “How was London? I must admit when you said you would return to visit, I did not expect it to be so quickly.”</p><p>“Hello, David.” Carlisle smiled back, removing his hat politely. “I was wondering if I may shelter here for the day- I shall leave at nightfall, I wouldn’t want to impose upon you for long.”</p><p>“Nonsense, impose all you like, my friend!” David opened the door wide, and Carlisle entered.</p><p>David’s home was modest, cozy, with a blazing fire already going in the corner, over which a large stew pot hung. Carlisle took a seat next to it, reaching out a hand absently to feel the warmth.</p><p>“Would you like some?” David asked, gesturing to the pot over the fire.</p><p>“No, thank you.” Carlisle said, eager to tell him the purpose of his visit. “I was wondering if you had encountered any others like me in your travels as of yet…”</p><p>“<em>Ah</em>,” David said. “Unfortunately not… I am sorry, Carlisle, I wish that I could tell you differently…”</p><p>“That’s quite alright.” Carlisle sighed. “I hadn’t expected you to.”</p><p>David sat down with his bowl of stew, sipping it and observing Carlisle with his forehead creased. “You seem… <em>Tired</em>, Carlisle. I mean that with no disrespect, only concern… Are you alright?”</p><p>Carlisle shook his head, laughing wryly. “I am as far from alright as it is possible to be… But I <em>will</em> be alright, eventually. I am, admittedly, a little adrift at present… Being the only one of my kind that is not a slave to my instincts…”</p><p>David nodded. “That sounds very lonely…”</p><p>There was another moment of silence while David sipped his stew, then he spoke again.</p><p>“In all your years, you’ve <em>never</em> encountered another Stregoni Benefici?” He asked.</p><p>“Pardon?” Carlisle raised an eyebrow. “A <em>what</em>?”</p><p>“<em>Stregoni</em> <em>Benefici</em>.” David said again, looking just as confused as Carlisle felt. “It is a race of vampire that is an ally to humankind… My father told me about them, he grew up hearing the legends in Italy- Vampires who feed on animals… My apologies, I should not have assumed.”</p><p>“Tell me more.” Carlisle said, a spark of hope in his chest; Perhaps there <em>were</em> others like him elsewhere, a coven to which he could belong.</p><p>David told him everything that he had learned from his father. He did warn Carlisle however, that <em>many</em> other Witchfinders had dismissed the tale as foolish myth, and offered to let him stay at his home as long as he liked. Carlisle thanked him for his generosity, but left as he intended that very night.</p><p>He travelled South, swimming through the English Channel into France. He had always wanted to see Paris. Tobias had gone with his own father when he’d been a boy, and had told Carlisle about its beauty. As he walked through the dimly lit streets in the dark, he couldn’t help but agree with him.</p><p>He continued on through Switzerland, spending a few months there tracking a group of vampires that had chosen to terrorize the people living on the outskirts of a large city. After he’d disposed of the first, he’d discovered that he had not been alone; He had been the leader of a small coven of three, and the other two women chased him all the way back to <em>Amsterdam</em> before he was able to destroy them as well.</p><p>Carlisle had tried to reason with them. <em>Tried</em> to explain to them how the young girl their sire had been about to kill didn’t deserve to die, and that there were <em>other</em> ways to survive. He’d extended the same olive branch to their mate, but he too had refused. Now all three of them had been reduced to sickly sweet purple smoke.</p><p>He doubled back South, finally making it to Italy. He spent the first few weeks up North, tracking a mated pair of vampires. He was disappointed to see that they both had red eyes. They told him that they had never heard of any Stregoni Benefici, but <em>did</em> listen to Carlisle as he told them of the cause behind his golden eyes. They found him rather amusing, but didn’t take any of his advice to heart.</p><p>Still, Carlisle hadn’t wanted to leave them. They had been the nicest- or perhaps the most <em>civil</em>- of his kind that he had met. Still, he had a mission. A goal. He continued on, searching the country for months. He traveled North, he traveled South. To be thorough, he scoured the entire Adriatic coast, circling back when he was through. He settled in Venice for a while, careful to keep his distance from the humans in the city.</p><p>Verona, Milan, Genoa, Florence, Rome, all the way to Messina… and Carlisle found nothing. Once, on a desperate whim, he went to a library in Naples, waiting for an overcast day so that he could visit during business hours. He could have broken in after dark, as he usually did, but he needed to speak to locals if he were to learn about local legends. His Italian had gotten much better since he’d been there for so long, and he was able to ask the librarian about the fabled Stregoni Benefici.</p><p>Fortunately for him, the Head Librarian happened to be very well informed on the subject. His father had apparently told him the tale as a bedtime story long ago, and told Carlisle everything that he remembered, though it did him no good, and most of it conflicted with what David had told him. He searched high and low, but never found even a <em>whisper</em> of their existence.</p><p>As the years passed, Carlisle’s hope began to fade. Although he encountered other covens in Italy, none of them had the same golden eyes as he had. He expanded his search, travelling farther and farther East until he had left Italy behind. He searched through Serbia, Romania, Greece, Turkey, and continued on through the Russian wilderness.</p><p>In the dense woods, he met a coven of four women. The leader- much older by the look of her- introduced herself as Sasha. She introduced the other three as her daughters; Tanya, Kate, and Irina. All of them had red eyes, shining from a fresh feed. Carlisle was wary, but the women seemed harmless enough to him. He stayed with them for a while, explaining his mission to find others like him. When one of the girls, Irina, asked why he restrained himself from human blood, he answered her honestly.</p><p>“I don’t believe it’s my right to take away the life of another to prolong my own.” He shrugged. “Not when there are other options. I did not wish to be a monster.”</p><p>“<em>Monster</em>.” One of the others, Kate, scoffed. “The men we drink are more <em>monstrous</em> than we are, Carlisle. We do not kill the innocent.”</p><p>Though the difference in their diets caused some tension, Carlisle stayed with Sasha and her family for a few years. He had to admit, the human men that he'd witnessed them feed on <em>had</em> been monsters. They went out of their way to find men who had hurt people, most often their wives or children. The widow would be waiting in fear for a husband who would <em>never</em> return to harm her again. Sasha and Tanya kept watch over them, making sure that their lives were indeed better after their intervention. They watched as the children no longer hesitated when playing for fear of being too loud, their mother watching them run gleefully through the field as she hung the laundry- her hair flowing freely behind her now that it was no longer in danger of being yanked angrily at the root.</p><p>After a while, Carlisle decided to move on and continue his search. Sasha made him promise to visit when he was able, and he agreed. He travelled South, through China and India before wandering through the Middle East to Egypt. He took his time, knowing that his search for others like him was becoming a fool’s errand… Still, it was all that he had.</p><p>In Alexandria, he met a mated pair named Amun and Kebi. Red eyes, as he had expected, but they too were more civil than the feral monsters he had disposed of in his youth back in England. Amun welcomed him grudgingly, and his mate explained of the recent loss of their son, stolen from them by another coven. She assured him that Amun’s apprehension wasn’t personal, and that he was normally a very kind, and caring man.</p><p>Carlisle assured her that he was not offended, and sympathized with her loss, telling her of Gabriel and Peter. Kebi thanked him, and offered to find him someone to drink. He refused politely, telling her of his animal blood diet. She was baffled, but said no more on the subject for the remainder of his stay with them.</p><p>Amun and Kebi were excellent company. Kebi was a talented singer and pianist, and Amun played a game of chess like Carlisle had never seen. The discussed politics, art, religion, life, death, and Carlisle had nearly forgotten about his quest for the Stregoni Benefici until the weeks turned to months, and he announced that he was moving on once again. Amun, having grown quite fond of Carlisle, extended an open invitation for his return, should he desire it. Kebi hugged him goodbye, and Carlisle swam across the Mediterranean Sea, through Greece and back towards the Italian countryside.</p><p>Time seemed to be immeasurable to him now. Days, weeks, months, <em>years</em>. It mattered little. His search came up short time and time again, and Carlisle grappled with the grim reality that he could be the only one… The only <em>Stregoni</em> <em>Benefici</em> in the whole world. He gave up.</p><p>He spent his days wandering aimlessly, waiting for Death to claim him however She chose. Once, he had tried to lose a fight with another lone vampire he had encountered outside Rome, but a survival instinct that he couldn’t control had taken over against his will, and the cloud of purple smoke he had created shortly after his victory taunted him. He thought of Gabriel, of Peter, of Mary, and his dead heart ached, wishing upon every star that he could join them.</p><p>Carlisle was feeding on a sheep on the outskirts of Florence. It was still dark out, the moon lighting the patch of grass where he was drinking. His clothes were disheveled and stained brown with blood, having lost the will to care about his physical appearance over the years. He had almost finished- the sheep’s leg had finally stopped twitching- when a voice behind him made him snarl and leap to his feet.</p><p>“Well <em>hello</em> <em>there</em>, young one.” The voice said. Carlisle spun to see two figures behind him, staring curiously at the sheep on the ground. “I apologize, I did not mean to startle you…”</p><p>Carlisle observed the two vampires before him; The man who had spoken looked ancient in both mortal <em>and</em> immortal age. He was taller than Carlisle, but not by much. His thick black hair was combed back, and long enough to reach the backs of his knees. His red eyes held an expression that was somewhere between concern and amusement. The woman behind him was touching his back, surveying Carlisle from behind a curtain of mousy brown hair. She was very tiny, and didn’t seem to want to leave the man’s side. They were both wearing black robes that trailed the ground as they walked.</p><p>“My name is Aro.” The older man said, holding out his hand politely. Carlisle noticed that, though it was <em>well</em> past nightfall, Aro was wearing black velvet gloves. He made no comment on them however, and shook his hand tentatively.</p><p>“I am Carlisle.” He said.</p><p>“Tell me, Carlisle,” Aro said, gesturing to the sheep at their feet. “Why do you settle for the livestock? There are <em>plenty</em> of humans in these parts, and feeding is not forbidden this far from the castle.”</p><p>“I choose <em>not</em> to feed on humans…” Carlisle said, standing taller and preparing himself for the jeering that he had come to expect at this admission.</p><p>Instead, Aro tilted his head to the side, observing him with a glint in his eyes. “<em>Curious</em>… Curious, indeed.”</p><p>“You said that there were areas where feeding was <em>forbidden</em>,” Carlisle said, quickly changing the subject. “Would you mind telling me where those areas <em>are</em>? I would hate to offend anyone unintentionally.”</p><p>Aro raised an eyebrow. “Why, feeding is prohibited inside the walls of <em>Volterra</em>, of course… Did you not know?”</p><p>“No, I apologize.” Carlisle smiled sheepishly. “I am from England. I’ve only been in Italy for… Well, I’m not <em>sure</em> how long, actually- What year is it?”</p><p>“Seventeen sixty-three.” Aro answered, still looking at him with his red eyes narrowed.</p><p>Carlisle’s math was quick; <em>Sixty</em>-<em>seven</em> <em>years</em> since Peter had died. Sixty-seven years of wandering, of searching for a coven like him who may have only ever existed as a <em>myth</em>.</p><p>“The sun is rising,” The girl said, and Carlisle was surprised to hear that her voice was much rougher than her appearance would have suggested. “We should return to the castle.”</p><p>Aro nodded, turning to place a hand gently on the side of her cheek. “Yes, Renata, you are quite right… <em>Carlisle</em>, would you care to join us?”</p><p>Carlisle blinked, taken aback at the unexpected offer.</p><p>“We have many sets of fresh clothes for you to change into,” Aro continued without waiting for an answer. “Please, Carlisle, you look like you have been through much… My wife and family will not mind the extra company, I assure you.”</p><p>It was far too kind an offer to turn down.</p><p>“Of course, thank you.” He said, and Aro clapped his hands delightedly.</p><p>Carlisle followed the strange man and his companion Southwest, until they came upon a walled town on top of a large hill.</p><p>“Volterra!” Aro cheered, gesturing lovingly to the city as they grew closer.</p><p>They entered through a sewer gate in the back, walking in a line through the narrow gap. To Carlisle’s shock, they soon exited into what was the most <em>magnificent</em> foyer he had ever seen. Black marble floors clacked beneath his muddy shoes, and matching columns stretched to the ceiling, where an intricate painting had been done of the sky, the fluffy white clouds so realistic that he felt he could reach out and <em>touch</em> one if he wished it. The long hall divided ahead of them; A staircase going down, and a staircase going up.</p><p>“What do you think?” Aro asked excitedly, looking back at Carlisle with his arms outstretched.</p><p>“<em>Impressive</em>.” Carlisle said, grinning back at him. </p><p>Aro clapped happily again. “I’m <em>so</em> glad you like it! Come now, this way.”</p><p>He led Carlisle down the steps and down a second hallway to the left. They passed many identical doors before he stopped at one of them, produced a set of keys from his pocket, and unlocked it. It swung open, and Carlisle peered inside; It was a bathroom, but not a bathroom as Carlisle had ever seen one. The black marble floors shined, the brass taps gleamed. The tub was large enough to fit four grown men comfortably, and there was a large mirror covering the wall above the sinks.</p><p>“Take as much time as you like.” Aro said, waving someone forward that Carlisle hadn’t noticed. She was another vampire, her blonde hair tightly wound in a bun atop her head. “Gilda will get your measurements and bring you something to wear.”</p><p>The vampire named Gilda measured Carlisle from top to bottom, then darted away down the hall and back up the marble steps. Aro turned to Renata, who was still attached to his side.</p><p>“Renata darling, go and inform my dear Sulpicia of my return home, will you?” He said cheerily. “And of our new guest.”</p><p>Renata nodded, glancing hesitantly at Carlisle before zipping away after Gilda.</p><p>“I shall leave you to it, then.” Aro said, smiling at Carlisle again. “My family and I will be in the Grand Hall, I shall leave one of our Guard at your door to escort you there once you’ve finished.”</p><p>“Thank you.” Carlisle said, removing his filthy cloak as Aro left and closed the heavy door behind him.</p><p>Carlisle took his time in the bath. Even though dirt and grime didn’t stick to vampiric skin, the warmth and familiarity of the bath was soothing, and he waited until the water had long gone cold before getting out and letting himself dry. Gilda returned with a selection of clothes for him, and he took them with gratitude. He chose the least flashy of the pieces- black breeches and a blue waistcoat with gold embroidery- and opened the door, where a member of Aro’s guard was waiting patiently. The man was tall and muscular, with olive skin and black hair.</p><p>“Hello Carlisle,” He said, nodding in greeting. “My name is Demetri.”</p><p>“A pleasure.” Carlisle said, extending his hand.</p><p>Demetri took it, shaking it firmly once before letting go. “The Grand Hall is this way, follow me.”</p><p>They walked back up the steps to the entryway, then went up the other set of stairs. Rather than another hallway, it led to a large open room filled with natural light spilling from the glass ceiling above them. Aro was sitting in one of two ornate thrones at by the far wall, next to a woman that Carlisle assumed was his wife; She was tall and slender, with sharp features and thin lips. Her hair was black, but streaks of gray hung down around her ears. They were both watching two more vampires- the youngest vampires that Carlisle had ever come across- sparring in the center of the room. Their blows echoed as they fought, until the girl with blonde hair in a braid down her back threw the dark-haired boy across the room, holding his head up triumphantly for Aro to see. The watching crowd along the walls cheered at her victory.</p><p>“Well <em>done</em>, Jane!” Aro clapped, rising to his feet and walking over to her. He took her head in his hands and placed a kiss on top of her head. “<em>Excellent</em> form! Now, go and give your brother back his head, there’s a good girl.”</p><p>“Yes, Father.” Jane chimed, skipping over to where her brother’s body was wandering aimlessly with its arms outstretched and placing his head back onto his neck.</p><p>Aro walked towards Carlisle, grinning broadly. “Ah, Carlisle! The new attire suits you well. Allow me to introduce you to my wife, Sulpicia.”</p><p>The woman darted over to stand beside Aro, her stern expression unchanged as she appraised Carlisle.</p><p>“Lovely to meet you, madam.” Carlisle said, extending his hand to her. She took it, and her grip was much firmer than he had anticipated.</p><p>There was a shocked hiss from those that were in the room with them, and Carlisle stiffened.</p><p>“Ah, that was <em>my</em> mistake, my apologies…” Aro said, looking at him and biting his lip. “I neglected to inform you… My <em>formal</em> title is <em>King</em> Aro of the Volturi. My wife is Queen Sulpicia. My friends were simply shocked to see you address her so casually- Again, <em>my</em> mistake, darling.”</p><p>He looked over at Sulpicia as he said this, but she waved a hand. “It matters not, my love. His directness was <em>refreshing</em>, to say the least.”</p><p>“Still, I must apologize,” Carlisle said, bowing his head respectfully. “I was unaware that our kind had a Royal Family.”</p><p>Confused whispers filled the room, and Carlisle looked back over at Aro, who had one eyebrow raised.</p><p>“Where do you come from, stranger?” Sulpicia asked. Her voice was as firm as her grip had been, and there was a sharpness to it that could have cut him down where he stood.</p><p>“England.” He answered her. “Though I’ve been a nomad for many years now. I was most recently in Egypt before returning here to Italy.”</p><p>“<em>Egypt</em>!” Aro exclaimed suddenly, looking behind Carlisle where Demetri still stood. “<em>Your</em> home, my dear Demetri! Tell me, Carlisle, did you manage to get into the pyramids? They are <em>quite</em> the marvel, there’s a small coven who lives inside, who-“</p><p>“But my <em>dear</em> husband,” Sulpicia interrupted, and there was something in her tone that made Carlisle tense, although she seemed to be almost <em>crooning</em> at him. “Do you not already <em>know</em> this?”</p><p>He noticed her glance down to the black gloves that Aro was wearing, and her eyes narrowed. “You bring a <em>stranger</em> into our home, near our <em>children</em>, without knowing of his past? Without knowing if he poses a <em>threat</em>?”</p><p>“I assure you, Your Majesty, I have <em>no</em> intention of harming your family.” Carlisle said quickly, watching as Aro’s face fell.</p><p>“I thought that I might give our guest the opportunity to tell us of his travels himself… <em>Besides</em> my dear, how much of a threat could he <em>be</em>?” Aro implored, twisting his gloved hands in front of him. “He was feeding on a <em>sheep</em> when I found him…”</p><p>Sulpicia looked back at Carlisle with a disgusted sneer on her face. She met his eyes and smirked at their golden color. “Is that a… <em>habit</em> of yours, Carlisle?”</p><p>“You might say that.” Carlisle said politely. “I do not enjoy feeding on humans… I <em>was</em> one, after all- as we <em>all</em> were once.”</p><p>Sulpicia scoffed. When she spoke again, it was in another language. Thankfully, Carlisle was all-too familiar with Latin. “<em>But you are no longer human- You are better. Stronger</em>.”</p><p>Carlisle answered her in her own tongue. “<em>Stronger, yes- But no better. Just different</em>.”</p><p>She looked Carlisle up and down once more before turning back to her husband. “<em>Your</em> way or <em>mine</em>, dear husband- Choose.”</p><p>Aro flinched. He removed his glove automatically, reaching out for Carlisle’s hand. “I apologize for the intrusion, my friend… But would you please take my hand for a moment?”</p><p>Carlisle hesitated, but he was sure that whatever Sulpicia had in mind for him, Aro’s way was the better course. He reached out and took Aro’s hand in his.</p><p><em>Nothing</em> could have prepared him for what happened next. The room around him faded away. He was watching as his life flashed in front of his eyes; He was three, and his father was drunk again, passed out on the floor of their home. He was eight, and he was hiding behind the loose wall in the church as his father searched for him, though they were <em>not</em> playing hide-and-seek. He was on his first hunt, watching from behind his father as most of their hunting party was killed, the vampire’s red eyes glowing as it hissed angrily. He had gone on a hunt alone for the first time, and cleared Mary’s grandmother of all charges. He was with <em>Mary</em>… She was showing up on his doorstep, pregnant with his baby. He was holding Gabriel in his arms. He was comforting Gabriel after he had skinned his knee on the ground, with Mary watching from the porch. He was mourning over Mary’s grave, then screaming at his father for suggesting that it was best.</p><p>He watched as Gabriel <em>flourished</em> in his medical studies, then got him the internship where he’d met Peter. He experienced his own death <em>again</em>, watching Robert and Gretchen dispose of the bodies from his hiding place. He killed his father <em>again</em>, when he’d raised a knife to Gabriel. He was wedding Gabriel and Peter under the willow. The happy years passed, and he was burying them there instead. He saved the humans from the vampires he encountered. He learned about the Stregoni Benefici, and searched for them until he was forced to the realization that they were only a legend. He wandered. He saw himself meeting Aro. The tour they had just been on, the bath, the clothes, he saw himself grab Aro’s hand again, and-</p><p>Carlisle dropped to his knees, feeling- for the first time since he’d been changed- like he might faint. Across from him, Aro was shaking his head, managing to stagger to his feet a little faster than Carlisle did.</p><p>“<em>Well</em>,” Aro sighed, looking down at him and breathing heavily as he pulled his glove back on. “Such an <em>interesting</em> life you’ve led, my friend… My condolences for your losses. That also explains how you knew nothing of us- His sire was killed before his transformation was complete.”</p><p>He said this last to his wife, who to Carlisle’s surprise actually looked like she felt <em>sorry</em> for him. “Well… That is no fault of his own.”</p><p>Carlisle swallowed, glancing back at Aro and knowing that this was not strictly truthful; <em>He</em> had been the one to hunt down the coven that had changed him, the very <em>reason</em> that his sire had been destroyed.</p><p>“Yes, <em>indeed</em>.” Aro said, looking at Carlisle briefly before continuing. “He tells the truth- He is from England. He has travelled for many decades alone… I do not believe he poses a threat, my love. No threat at all.”</p><p>Carlisle realized what Aro had done; He had met a few others on his travels with extra abilities. Kate had been one of them. Aro must have seen Carlisle’s entire life in replay as he had… But if that <em>were</em> the case, how could he come to the conclusion that he was not a threat? He had killed <em>many</em> of his own kind over the years, as both a mortal <em>and</em> immortal man… Whatever the King’s reasoning though, Carlisle didn’t question it.</p><p>Sulpicia scoffed. “Then he may <em>stay</em>, if that is what you wish.”</p><p>“Out of curiosity, Your Majesty,” Carlisle said, careful to use her title this time. “What would <em>your</em> way of finding out my past have been, should Aro have chosen it?”</p><p>The vampire queen grinned. “It <em>just</em> <em>so</em> <em>happens</em> that I have the opportunity to demonstrate that- Demetri, Felix! Bring the prisoners from the dungeons.”</p><p>Demetri and another member of the guard nodded and zipped away down the stairs. Aro and Sulpicia took their places on their thrones, and Carlisle realized that there were two smaller sets of thrones on either side of them.</p><p>“Amelia, send for my brothers, please.” Aro said to a small red-haired girl in the corner. She nodded and disappeared after the others.</p><p>Aro’s brothers arrived first, and Aro rose to introduce them to Carlisle.</p><p>“Carlisle, this is Lord Caius and Lord Markus.” He gestured first to a short, pale, man with straight blonde hair who looked to be in his mid-thirties. The second man, Lord Markus, was taller than Carlisle, his long brown hair tucked carelessly behind his ears. He looked no older than eighteen or maybe twenty, and his tan face was completely blank, his eyes glossed over as if he were drunk.</p><p>“A pleasure to meet you both.” Carlisle said, bowing his head to both of them.</p><p>“Likewise.” Markus said flatly, and the corner of his mouth twitched in what looked like an attempt at a smile.</p><p>Caius said nothing, looking over at a woman who was just as pale and blonde as he was and waving her over.</p><p>“Ah yes, and this is Lady Athenodora.” Aro explained. “Caius’s wife.”</p><p>“Charmed.” Athenodora said briefly, before pulling her husband away to their chairs beside Sulpicia.</p><p>“Come, you may sit beside Markus.” Aro said to Carlisle, gesturing to the empty seat between them. “Unfortunately, Lady Didyme, my niece… she died long ago.”</p><p>Markus took his seat, and Carlisle thought he saw him wince. He understood; He still missed Mary as if she’d only left him yesterday. He sat between Aro and Markus, waiting for whatever prisoners were to be led into the hall.</p><p>“Tell me, what crime did these prisoners commit?” Carlisle asked Aro.</p><p>Aro sighed deeply. “One of the most forbidden acts for our kind… The woman created an immortal child.”</p><p>Carlisle blinked. “Forgive me, I am not quite understanding… Are not Jane and your son immortal children?”</p><p>“<em>No</em>, they are not,” Aro explained, and he was relieved to see that he hadn’t looked offended by the question. “Jane and Alec were old enough when they were changed to be able to mentally develop over time. The child the woman had changed was <em>barely</em> three years old… He was incapable of maintaining our secrecy, or following any rule or order. In a single tantrum it wiped out an <em>entire</em> <em>village</em>- That’s where our Guard caught up to the sire, in the Serbian tundra.”</p><p>Demetri and Felix came back into the room, carrying four women over their shoulders, two each. It was the first time that Carlisle had ever seen a vampire <em>unconscious</em> before. Felix laid both of his on the ground before them, and Demetri put one beside the others, dropping the second woman he carried closer to Sulpicia’s feet. All four women were twitching and crying out, one trying to fight off some invisible thing that only she could perceive. When Demetri pushed the blonde hair from the sire’s face, Carlisle realized who they were.</p><p>“<em>Sasha</em>…” He breathed, staring down at the woman who had been his friend in Russia. He looked at the others behind her, recognizing them as Tanya, Kate, and Irina.</p><p>“He <em>knows</em> these women?” Sulpicia asked Aro, turning to him with one thin eyebrow raised.</p><p>Her husband closed his eyes, concentrating for a moment. “Yes… Their contact was brief, but <em>yes</em>… He never saw the child. The sire kept her secret well hidden.”</p><p>“What is <em>wrong</em> with them?” Carlisle asked, watching as Irina whimpered and tossed over frantically.</p><p>Aro looked over at his wife lovingly. “My dear wife’s ability is like nothing I’ve ever seen; She can reach into a person’s mind, read their deepest fears, and imprison them inside of a sort of dreamscape stitched from the <em>worst</em> of those fears… We use it to subdue prisoners until we can give them a proper trial, <em>or</em> for prolonged imprisonment, if that is their sentence.”</p><p>Carlisle shuddered, watching as Sulpicia stood and approached the women at her feet.</p><p>She stepped forward, kneeling down beside Sasha and placing a finger on her temple. “<em>Wake</em>.”</p><p>Sasha gasped, jolting to her feet and looking around the room. Felix and Demetri grabbed her arms, holding her in place. “My son! <em>Vasilli</em>! Where is my son?! What have you done with him?!”</p><p>“Sasha Belikova, you have committed the crime of creating an immortal child.” Sulpicia said, retaking her seat on the throne. “The punishment for this crime is death. How do you plead?”</p><p>“<em>No</em>!” Sasha cried, fighting uselessly against her captors. “Where is Vasilli? Tell me where he is!”</p><p>“The child has been destroyed.” Sulpicia said coldly. “You <em>knew</em> of the law when you were created. You <em>knew</em> what would happen to the child when you were caught.”</p><p>The wail that left Sasha cut through the room, and it changed to a snarl as she tried to reach the Queen, her hands reaching out as if to tear the dead flesh from her bones. Aro stood, removing his gloves and placing a hand on either side of Sasha’s face. She stopped fighting, and Carlisle knew she was watching- as <em>he</em> had moments ago- her whole life replay before her. Aro sighed after a moment, letting his hands fall.</p><p>“She is guilty.” Aro told the room at large. “But her daughters knew <em>nothing</em> of the boy… They should be freed.”</p><p>Sulpicia nodded, accepting her husband’s judgement without question. She stood, passing in front of where Sasha was still attempting to attack her, completely incensed with grief and rage. Six members of the Guard raised the three girls to their feet, and Sulpicia awakened them all with a touch of her fingers. They looked around frantically, then saw Sasha in front of them.</p><p>“Mother!” Irina called, struggling to get free from the two guards holding her.</p><p>“Your mother has committed the crime of creating an immortal child.” Sulpicia explained. “She has been sentenced to death. The three of you are free to go. You have one minute to say your goodbyes.”</p><p>“No!” Kate cried, and the two men holding her dropped to the ground as if they had been electrocuted. Before she could take a step, she had dropped to the ground as well, screaming so loudly that her cries echoed off the walls.</p><p>Carlisle couldn’t see what had affected her, but it was soon clear; <em>Jane</em> had emerged from the shadows, her black eyes narrowed at Kate. Beside her, her brother Alec held onto her hand, holding her back.</p><p>“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” She told Kate in a sing-song voice, and Kate stopped screaming, staggering to her feet back to her sisters. “<em>My</em> mother gave you a chance to say goodbye to <em>yours</em>- Be grateful.”</p><p>“<em>Thank</em> <em>you</em>, Jane.” Sulpicia said, reaching out and stroking her daughter’s blonde hair. “Such a good girl.”</p><p>Jane beamed up her mother, preening from the praise.</p><p>“Aro, can’t she be given a second chance?” Carlisle asked desperately. “<em>Surely</em> now that the child has been disposed of, the issue is now passed?”</p><p>“The Volturi do <em>not</em> give second chances.” Sulpicia said, stalking back over to take her seat again. Jane skipped over and sat in her lap, taking a strand of her mother’s dark hair and beginning to braid it lazily while Alec came to stand beside his father. Sulpicia waved a hand. “Execute the prisoner.”</p><p>Carlisle watched on helplessly as Tanya, Kate, and Irina screamed. Sasha was broken into pieces quickly, then set on fire by Felix. On the far wall, another member of the Guard pulled a lever, opening a panel of glass in the ceiling for the thick purple smoke to escape.</p><p>“Mother, I’m <em>thirsty</em>.” Jane complained, and Sulpicia smiled down at her.</p><p>“Heidi will return home soon with dinner, my love.” She said.</p><p>Tanya, Kate, and Irina were still sobbing over the burning remains of Sasha, no longer being held back by the Guard. Carlisle stood and walked slowly over to them, though he didn’t know what he could say to ease their grief.</p><p>“I’m <em>so</em> sorry…” He said anyway, placing a hand on Tanya’s shoulder.</p><p>She turned and hugged him, and he asked Aro if he could escort them from the castle. Aro agreed, but they had to wait for nightfall until they left. The three distraught girls spent the day with Carlisle in the room that he’d been given, silently mourning their loss.</p><p>“How have you been, Carlisle?” Tanya asked after a few hours of silence. Her tone was blank, but at least she was speaking to him. “How did you come to be staying with the Volturi?”</p><p>“I only just met them this morning…” Carlisle said. “The King found me on the outskirts of Florence, and brought me here to freshen up. Honestly, I had <em>no</em> idea they existed before then.”</p><p>Tanya raised her eyebrows. “Your sire abandoned you?”</p><p>“He was destroyed before my transformation was complete.” Carlisle explained, leaving out the finer details.</p><p>“<em>Oh</em>… I’m sorry.” Tanya said, looking back down at the book in her lap.</p><p>“Where will you go now?” Carlisle asked her. She was the oldest, and would be taking over as the coven’s leader now that Sasha was gone.</p><p>“I’m not sure.” Tanya told him, looking up from the book that he knew she was only pretending to read. “I’ve been hearing tales of America for some time now… Perhaps it would be <em>good</em> for us to go away for a while…”</p><p>“<em>America</em>?” Kate asked, turning away from the window where the last of the sunlight was shining on her face. The sudden movement sent colorful lights dancing around the room. “<em>Leave</em> <em>Europe</em>?”</p><p>“I don’t <em>care</em> where we go.” Irina said from her place by the fire. “Mother is <em>dead</em>… She’s dead because we weren’t enough of a family for her. What did that <em>boy</em> give her that we could not?”</p><p>No one had an answer for her. Kate moved to put her arms around Irina, but she pushed her sister away. When the sun had finally set, Carlisle led them out of the same tunnel that he had entered from that morning. He told them to send word once they had arrived in America, and Tanya promised him that they would. As Carlisle watched them leave, he heard footsteps from behind him.</p><p>“Hello.” Aro said, his hands behind his back. “Would you like to walk with me?”</p><p>Carlisle nodded, and the two of them set out across the fields.</p><p>“How are you feeling, Carlisle?” Aro asked, glancing over at him. “After everything you’ve seen today, you must be more than a little shaken.”</p><p>“I knew Sasha well, as you know.” Carlisle said, his brows pulling together. “It pained me to see her killed…”</p><p>Aro placed his hand- now back in the black glove- on Carlisle’s shoulder as they walked. “I am <em>truly</em> sorry for that… and also for my intrusion into your privacy.”</p><p>“Yes, <em>about</em> that,” Carlisle said. “You saw what I <em>was</em>, what I’ve <em>done</em>… Why did you tell your wife that I wasn’t a threat? I am <em>grateful</em>, surely, and you are right to assume so, but I am <em>curious</em> as to how you came to that conclusion, after all you’ve seen.”</p><p>The corner of Aro’s mouth twitched. “I do <em>much</em> more than simply see someone’s past as a passive observer- I experience it all <em>firsthand</em>, with you, as if it were my <em>own</em> memories… I felt how <em>you</em> felt in every instance. I know <em>every</em> thought you’ve ever had. You are so naturally <em>kind</em>, Carlisle… If not a little <em>strange</em> when it comes to your food source. You may have killed other of our kind for feeding on humans before, but I know how weary you are of the violence surrounding you. You do not wish to continue living that way, quite understandably.”</p><p>“Is killing another vampire not a crime?” Carlisle asked.</p><p>“No.” Aro shook his head. “We do not get involved in personal disputes. There are <em>three</em> crimes that will result in an execution; The creation of an immortal child, exposing our existence to humans, and abandoning a newborn. That is why you knew nothing of us- It is a sire’s <em>responsibility</em> to train the vampires they create, and to teach them the rules. To leave them unsupervised and uninformed is <em>cruel</em>, and could result in exposure. We do not condone it.”</p><p>“Are the abandoned newborns given amnesty?”</p><p>“Of <em>course</em>!” Aro said, seeming shocked by the question. “<em>Amelia</em> was such a newborn. We found her nearly a decade ago, in France. Poor thing was nearly <em>feral</em>. She was barely past her first year as an immortal, had <em>no</em> idea what she really was. She was convinced that she had been <em>possessed</em>. We brought her here, gave her a new life with us. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does we <em>never</em> punish the victim of a crime.”</p><p>Carlisle nodded, pleased with Aro’s answer.</p><p>“I <em>should</em> tell you something that you deserve to know…” Aro continued, looking up at him with his crimson eyes filled with guilt.</p><p>“What is that?” Carlisle asked.</p><p>“The legend of the <em>Stregoni</em> <em>Benefici</em>…” Aro began, and Carlisle stopped walking abruptly.</p><p>“What about them?” He asked.</p><p>“That legend… Well, it was started by <em>us</em>.” Aro said. “A friendly race of vampires… It gives the humans a false sense of security. It makes it <em>easier</em> for us to hunt. I’ve never met a vampire who took it <em>seriously</em> before…”</p><p>Carlisle stared at him. After another moment, he started to laugh. <em>Of</em> <em>course</em>, he thought. If course it was all a lie. It made sense. He’d spent his human life bathed in the foolish myths taught to him by Tobias, searching for meaning- It made <em>perfect</em> sense that he would repeat the pattern as an immortal.</p><p>“Are you <em>alright</em>?” Aro asked, concern flashing across his face again as he observed Carlisle’s reaction.</p><p>“<em>No</em>, actually.” Carlisle answered honestly, his laughter dying away. “You know how long I spent searching for others like me… It’s a pity knowing that all those years were <em>wasted</em>. Although I <em>do</em> thank you for not allowing me to waste any <em>more</em> of my time chasing a lie. To think I could have simply thrown a battle, and I could be with my sons now- If the afterlife is still possible for our kind, if it ever even <em>existed</em> at all.”</p><p>Aro regarded Carlisle for a moment before speaking again. “I was not a father in my human life… I do not know what it is to lose a child, but I do know that the loss of Alec and Jane would destroy me more utterly than <em>any</em> battle I could ever lose. You have my deepest sympathies, Carlisle, truly.”</p><p>“Thank you…”</p><p>“I know that it might not be <em>ideal</em> for you,” Aro continued. “But if you wish, you may stay here, with us. There are plenty of farms around for your… <em>dietary</em> <em>requirements</em>, should you choose to rely solely on the blood of animals- but you’d be welcome to dine with us whenever you choose. The spare room could become yours permanently… But it is up to you. I would be <em>happy</em> to have you join me in my home, Carlisle.”</p><p>Carlisle considered the offer; He had spent most of his existence <em>protecting</em> humans, could he really live alongside others who fed on them? On the other hand… He had nowhere else to go. What other options did he have? <em>Whoever</em> he settled down with, he would always be different from them in that regard.</p><p>“I accept.” He decided. “Thank you, Aro.”</p><p>Aro smiled broadly, his crimson eyes sparkling. “I am so happy to hear that, my friend! Shall we head home, then?”</p><p>“Yes,” Carlisle said, managing a small smile for his new friend. “<em>Although</em>, I was wondering if you would do me the honor of telling me the story of <em>your</em> life, as you already know mine.”</p><p>“But of course!” Aro said, and he began his tale as they headed back to Volterra.</p><p>He wasn’t sure of his <em>exact</em> birthdate, but told Carlisle that he was old enough to witness the downfall of Julius Caesar as a young man. It had been Sulpicia who had turned him; Aro had been around sixty when he’d fallen ill, and had travelled to see a witch who had been rumored to live in seclusion on the coast of Athens. This witch had been Sulpicia, who- when Aro had appeared on her doorstep on his last breath- honored his wish to survive his illness. When his transformation was complete, she told him what she really was; Not a <em>witch</em>, but a <em>vampire</em> instead.</p><p>She had been a talented medicine woman in her human life. She kept up the pretense as a vampire, after she’d subdued her sire. Aro told Carlisle that he was a <em>horrible</em> man, who had turned Sulpicia and <em>forced</em> her to be his mate. As far as Aro knew, he was still entombed beneath the floor of their old home, trapped forever by Sulpicia’s power.</p><p>She had been incredibly thirsty when Aro found her, but something about him struck her as special, and she had forced herself to resist draining him dry. She been right; Aro’s new abilities had become clear the moment they shook hands in greeting after his transformation was complete.</p><p>“I had always been very adept at reading people…” Aro explained, twisting his gloved hands in front of him as they walked. “It had its advantages as a human, but amplified as they are now it <em>can</em> get…”</p><p>“Incredibly <em>overwhelming</em>, I’m sure.” Carlisle nodded. “All those lifetimes in your head- Do they ever fade?”</p><p>Aro shook his head, staring out into the darkness ahead of them with a faraway look in his crimson eyes. “Not entirely… I can recall them just like any other memory. However it can get difficult to discern which memories are <em>mine</em>, when I experience others’ so intensely.”</p><p>Aro continued his tale, telling Carlisle of how he had begged Sulpicia to change his niece Didyme as well, his <em>only</em> living relative. She obliged, and the three of them posed as a family for a few decades before Didyme lost control and attacked Markus, in broad daylight. He was the son of a wealthy Italian family, and the townspeople had hunted them for <em>days</em>. Didyme hadn’t managed to drain Markus completely, and they’d carried him to safety where he too was turned.</p><p>Didyme, like Carlisle, was an incredibly kind person. She felt very badly about her lapse of control, and apologized to Markus as soon as he’d awoken. They’d fallen in love after a few years, around the same time Aro fell for Sulpicia. They had been forced to leave Italy when a larger coven overpowered them for their territory.</p><p>“The early years of our race were not <em>kind</em>, Carlisle.” Aro said. “A lawless battleground, every man for himself. Humans were all too aware of our kind lurking in the shadows, all of them on high alert at all hours. It made it very difficult to hunt. Sulpicia had the idea first, <em>brilliant</em> as she is, that there needed to be some sort of higher order… For the safety of our race. The human’s technology was growing rapidly- until the <em>Crusades</em>, anyway- and she knew that it could be a matter of decades before they grew the strength to wipe us out entirely.”</p><p>Aro explained how they had met Caius and Athenodora somewhere off the coast of Turkey. Neither of them had abilities of their own, but Caius had been legendary for his victories in battle and for his near extinction of the lycanthropes of Europe. After a few days of gaining their trust, they managed to form an alliance, with the promise that they would be given high positions in the new order. They travelled for many years, informing other covens of their intentions. Some covens grew hostile at this new development, but they were quickly disposed of. Still, some wished to join the cause, and thus the Guard was formed. Felix had been among the first, as had a man named Raj that they had recruited in India.</p><p>Their greatest gift, Aro told him, was a vampire they had found in Spain; Eleazar. His ability was to sense the abilities of others, if they had any. He had been a great asset in growing their defenses, and was held in the highest regard, though he was not a Guard member. He could occasionally sense the dormant ability in a person’s <em>human</em> state, if it was strong enough.</p><p>“Incredible.” Carlisle said, as they made their way through the tunnels that led to the Volturi castle.</p><p>“Indeed, you should meet him sometime. “ Aro said. “I am going to enjoy the evening with some light reading- Care to join me? We have quite the extensive library.”</p><p>Carlisle indulged him, and his jaw dropped when he saw the library for himself; The walls were nearly as tall as the ones in the Great Hall, but these were lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves, filled with books in varying ages and prints- there were even some scrolls near the back.</p><p>“We saved as much as we could when Alexandria burned.” Aro said, stroking the fragile paper delicately with one finger. “Not <em>all</em> of it, unfortunately…”</p><p>Carlisle was already pouring over the first scroll he had grabbed, darting over to the nearest armchair and sitting down, ignoring Aro’s chuckle at his eagerness. The two of them spent the night there, reading scroll after scroll as the sun rose through the stained glass windows. After a few hours of casual conversation by the ornate fireplace, Amelia entered the room carrying two crystal goblets with gold filigree, filled nearly to the brim with blood.</p><p>“The Queen sent these for you, Your Majesty.” She said to Aro, bowing her head and hanging him one of the goblets.</p><p>“Ah, thank you, Amelia, darling.” Aro said graciously, taking the goblet and sipping from it. “<em>Mmm</em>- Well matured… a little <em>anemic</em>, maybe, but a lovely selection.”</p><p>Amelia held the second goblet out to Carlisle, barely concealing the look of disgust on her face. “The Queen told me of your… <em>preference</em>.”</p><p>“Thank you.” Carlisle said, taking it from her and sniffing the surface; Elk or deer probably. He raised his glass to Aro. “To you, my friend, for allowing me space in your home.”</p><p>Aro smiled, then raised his own glass. “And to <em>you</em>, Carlisle, for agreeing to stay.”</p><p>The first few weeks that Carlisle was in Volterra passed quickly. He met Eleazar the next morning; He was tall and brown-skinned, with a hooked nose and deep-set eyes that had a kind sparkle to them despite their crimson color, and an uneven smile that was infectious at the sight of it. He was quiet and thoughtful, and made good company when Aro’s enthusiasm grew too intense. They spent most of their days in the library discussing philosophy or art. Occasionally, Eleazar would join Carlisle on his hunts outside Volterra, once even challenging himself to try animal blood just to say that he could. When Aro had seen the golden tint in Eleazar’s eyes, he’d shocked Carlisle and asked if he could try it as well.</p><p>Carlisle’s hope was short-lived, however. Aro had been a few swallows into his cow before stopping, making a face, and offering the rest to Carlisle.</p><p>“<em>No</em>- Not for me, thank you.” He had said, making Eleazar laugh. Renata and Demetri and exchanged an eye-roll when Aro wasn’t looking, but laughed good-naturedly when Carlisle offered them a drink as well.</p><p>Sparring was a regular activity for members of the Guard, but <em>all</em> residents of the castle were encouraged to join. A large courtyard in the center of the castle- where Carlisle could see the top of the domed glass ceiling of the Grand Hall poking out from the garden bed- was constantly active with sparring partners crashing into each other, and limbs flying through the air that were quickly returned to their owners.</p><p>It was here that Carlisle was able to witness the others use their abilities; Jane’s gift had been terrifying enough, but her brother Alec was <em>much</em> worse. A thick black smoke with the consistency of molasses oozed from the tips of his fingers, taking the sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch of whomever it came into contact with. Demetri tested his tracking skills with his assistance, relying solely on the tenors of his adversary’s minds while Alec cut off his other senses. Renata, as it turned out, had a shielding ability- which explained her constant presence near Aro’s side. Whoever attacked her simply bounced off an invisible force around her, flying through the air in the opposite direction. It was delightfully entertaining to watch, particularly when she was up against someone as stubborn as Felix.</p><p>The drawbacks of his decision to stay however, soon became clear; He had been reading a book in his room late one night, when he’d heard screams coming from upstairs. He’d rushed to their aid, thinking that the Guard- or perhaps Aro himself- was under attack… But what he saw when he swung open the doors of the Grand Hall made him stop in his tracks.</p><p>Humans, <em>dozens</em> of them, scrambled fruitlessly around the room, their cries echoing off the marble walls as they were slaughtered in front of him. Members of the Guard grabbed people at random, sinking their fangs wherever they could reach. Carlisle stared on in horror, rooted to the spot. He saw Aro across the room, as he looked up and saw him standing there. Aro’s eyebrows lifted, his eyes wide. The next thing Carlisle knew, he had been pushed out of the room, and Aro had closed the heavy doors behind him, hiding the massacre from view.</p><p>“Carlisle…” Aro said gently, his hands placed gently on his shoulders. “I am <em>so</em> sorry… I thought that you were out. You were <em>never</em> meant to see that my friend, I knew that it would upset you…”</p><p>Carlisle couldn’t speak. All those people in that room, some of them so <em>young</em> looking… and there was nothing that he could do to save them.</p><p>“Demetri said that you were on a stroll with Eleazar…” Aro explained, keeping his voice gentle.</p><p>“We returned early…” Carlisle managed to say, still reeling from what he had witnessed. “Eleazar wanted to come back before dawn so that he could paint the sunrise in the courtyard.”</p><p>“Don’t <em>coddle</em> him, darling.” Sulpicia said, emerging from the hall where the cries had now stopped. She wiped a trail of blood from her chin, licking it off of her long fingers. “He was going to find out our methods sooner or later.”</p><p>Aro’s eyebrow stitched together. “Yes… But not like <em>this</em>.”</p><p>From that moment on, Aro gave Carlisle a few hours’ warning when they were about to feed. It only happened once every few days, when a woman named Heidi- who had a power of her own, similar to the tales of sirens Carlisle had heard as a child- would lure in unwitting travelers to their deaths. It was efficient, he had to admit. Many people went missing on long journeys all the time, they would not be suspected.</p><p>Eleazar sometimes opted to join Carlisle for meals, drinking animal blood with him and asking about his travels. He had been in the room when Sasha had been executed, and asked after her daughters.</p><p>“They told me that they were going to America.” Carlisle told him, leaving the bodies of the elks they had drained for the scavengers to pick clean when the sun rose. “I considered joining them, but… I decided that it was best to give them space to grieve.”</p><p>Eleazar nodded sagely. “Yes, you were quite right to do so… I’m sure they’re doing fine.”</p><p>Carlisle wasn’t so sure; Sasha had been their rock, the one that had brought them together. Tanya had inherited her tenacity, and he hoped that she would be able to get the other two through their ordeal. Irina had seemed particularly distraught; She had idolized Sasha <em>completely</em>.</p><p>The years went on, and he was content enough with his situation, save for the consistent loss of human life surrounding him. He distracted himself by studying in the library, or walking on the outskirts of the city after nightfall. He was usually accompanied on these walks, a safety precaution every resident of the castle followed. Demetri was with him this time, gliding silently by his side through the trees while Carlisle hunted.</p><p>“I believe I saw a <em>squirrel</em> a minute ago.” Demetri teased, grinning at him and leaning against one of the bigger trees, running a thumb along the tip of one of his fangs. He had long given up on converting Carlisle to his ‘<em>natural</em>’ food source, as had most of the Guard. Only Sulpicia and Caius openly mocked him now.</p><p>Carlisle rolled his black eyes. “I’m much too thirsty to settle for a squirrel, unfortunately.”</p><p>“Well, do <em>hurry</em>, won’t you?” He asked, looking up at the moon’s position in the sky. “I was supposed to meet Gilda before breakfast- These trousers need mending.”</p><p>He gestured to a small tear in the fabric. Carlisle sighed, inhaling deeply as he searched for something to drink. There was a herd of elk not far away, maybe three of four- but before he could head in their direction, there was a small cry from behind them, making him stop and turn around.</p><p>“Did you hear that?” He asked Demetri, who shrugged.</p><p>“Probably an owl.”</p><p>The cry rang out again, louder this time; It definitely wasn’t an owl, at least not a species of owl that Carlisle had ever heard before. He followed the sound, moving at human speed so that he wouldn’t startle whatever was making it. As he grew closer, he realized what it was; A small child, crying somewhere on the edge of the woods. He sped up, Demetri straggling behind him apathetically.</p><p>“What are you doing <em>now</em>, Carlisle?” He asked, his voice echoing in the silence.</p><p>Carlisle shushed him. “I’m going to see if the child needs help- Go back to Gilda if you wish, I’m not stopping you.”</p><p>“You know very well that I can’t go back alone.” Demetri said, though he did keep his voice low this time. “Why <em>help</em> it? I’m a little thirsty too, you know, I could just-“</p><p>Carlisle snarled, whipping around and pinning Demetri to one of the trees with his forearm. It cracked slightly as Carlisle held him there by the throat, both of their fangs bared.</p><p>“You so much as <em>think</em> of harming that child and I will tear you to pieces.” He threatened.</p><p>Demetri scoffed. “And be executed yourself?”</p><p>“If that is my punishment, so be it.” Carlisle said, stepping back and letting him go. “I would rather be destroyed than let that happen. I may not be able to do anything about the <em>massacres</em> occurring in that castle, but you will <em>not</em> feed on an innocent child in my presence. I won’t allow it, Demetri.”</p><p>He considered Carlisle for a moment, then rolled his eyes. “<em>Fine</em>- Go and help your little pet.”</p><p>Carlisle moved towards where the crying had grown softer, small sniffles beginning to take over as they tried to calm down. He could see a girl just ahead of them through the trees; No older than five or six, wiping her eyes with a dirty fist and looking down at a long cut on her leg.</p><p>The smell of the blood made Carlisle’s head swim, and he grit his teeth. He turned back to Demetri, who was wearing an equally uncomfortable expression as he restrained himself.</p><p>“Perhaps you should stay hidden…” Carlisle suggested.</p><p>Demetri rolled his eyes. “If I <em>must</em>.”</p><p>Carlisle nodded, turning back and walking carefully to where the girl was sitting. She looked up as he approached, her tearful blue eyes wide.</p><p>“It’s alright,” He said, coming out from the trees and waving to her. “I’m a friend. Did you get hurt?”</p><p>The girl answered back, and Carlisle’s Italian was now so fluent that he could understand every word. “I went to get more firewood and I fell… Papa is asleep, and he won’t wake up… It was so cold in the house, but I got lost on my way back and tripped, and my leg hurts.”</p><p>Carlisle knelt down next to her, holding his breath as he examined the wound. It wasn’t deep. Only a shallow cut running from her knee almost halfway down her leg. “Now then, this doesn’t look too bad.”</p><p>He took a handkerchief from his pocket, wrapping it around the wound. It had already stopped bleeding, but covering it helped both Carlisle’s restraint and the girl’s nerves. She had stopped crying now, and was only sniffling as he tied it neatly in a knot around her leg.</p><p>“There!” He said, smiling gently at her while she looked at the makeshift bandage. “All better! My name is Carlisle. What’s yours?”</p><p>“Ana…” She said softly.</p><p>“Do you know where your home is, Ana?”</p><p>She pointed in front of her, gesturing to somewhere in the direction of Volterra. Carlisle hesitated for a moment, then inhaled the air around him. The smell of the blood was intense, but he ignored the burn in his throat and focused on the trail she had left through the woods. For a moment, he considered letting Demetri lead the way back, but it would be better if he handled it himself. He managed to lock onto the trail, then looked back down at Ana.</p><p>“May I carry you?”</p><p>She nodded, holding her small arms out to him as he scooped her up. He walked at human speed, and it bothered him little. The house was not far, a small farm just beyond the tree line. There was a large section of roof that had been caved in- no mystery as to why she had been so cold. The door was still open, and even from this distance he could hear a loud, raucous snoring coming from a man whom he assumed was Ana’s father.</p><p>He reached the door and peered inside; The fireplace was dark, not even smoking. There was a large man sprawled out on the only bed in the one-room cabin, snoring loudly with a thick-fingered hand on his round belly.</p><p>“Is that your Papa?” Carlisle asked.</p><p>Ana nodded.</p><p>He set her down carefully on the floor, and she limped slowly to a thick pile of cloths on the floor and laid down on them, her tired eyes closing immediately as she drifted to sleep, exhausted from the night’s events. Carlisle watched her for a moment, moving to remove his cloak to cover her before remembering that it would probably be colder than the air around her. He looked at the empty fireplace, then went back outside.</p><p>“Demetri.” He said, keeping his voice low.</p><p>Demetri appeared at his side, looking up at the moon before asking, “Are you <em>finished</em> now?”</p><p>“No.” He said. “I need firewood. Would you collect some for me, please?”</p><p>Demetri stared at him, baffled. “<em>Why</em>?”</p><p>“To <em>build</em> <em>a</em> <em>fire</em>.” Carlisle rolled his eyes. “Just grab some wood, <em>quickly</em>.”</p><p>Demetri let out an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes dramatically, but said. “Fine- If it will make us return home faster.”</p><p>He darted away into the trees, and Carlisle returned into the house, where Ana was fast asleep now, and her father’s snores were growing even louder as his own slumber deepened. Carlisle leaned forward, sniffing around the bed where the man slept; It <em>reeked</em> of alcohol- Carlisle knew the scent all too well thanks to Tobias. He looked back down at Ana, then up at the large hole in the roof. Had the man only been neglecting his <em>home</em>, Carlisle would have simply left him there in the cold. His neglect of the <em>only child he possessed</em>, however…</p><p>There was a soft knock at the door, and Carlisle opened it to see Demetri standing there with his arms full of firewood, an exasperated expression on his face.</p><p>“Thank you.” Carlisle said, taking the wood from him and darting over to the fireplace. He managed to get it going after a few moments, and hung his worn cloak in front of it to warm up.</p><p>Demetri watched him as he did this, with his arms crossed and his brow furrowed. “Why go through all this <em>trouble</em>, Carlisle? The drunk will simply repeat his pattern in the morning, and the girl will have to fend for herself again.”</p><p>“Not if I can help it.” Carlisle said, looking between Ana and her father for a moment, a plan taking shape in his mind. He grinned up at Demetri. “Would you care to put on a bit of a performance with me?”</p><p>Demetri raised one eyebrow. “You want to <em>frighten</em> him into caring for his child?”</p><p>“Are you <em>opposed</em> to it?”</p><p>Demetri smiled. “Not in the <em>slightest</em>- After you.”</p><p>Carlisle put a hand over the man’s mouth, and he snorted awake, grunting and trying to push Carlisle off of him. The effort that Carlisle was taking to hold him there was <em>nothing</em> compared to the effort he was taking not to bleed the man dry while his daughter slept.</p><p>“Shhh.” Carlisle put a finger to his lips. “Quiet, now. We wouldn’t want to wake Ana.”</p><p>The man looked down at where she was sleeping by the edge of the bed, then back up at Carlisle. His blue eyes- the exact shade and shape as Ana’s- were wide with terror.</p><p>“I found your daughter, injured in the forest.” Carlisle explained in a whisper. “She claimed that you had not started the fire before retiring to bed this evening- We have taken care of that for you.”</p><p>He gestured to the roaring fire with his free hand. The man beneath him looked confused, his eyes still glossed over with drink and interrupted sleep.</p><p>“Ana was in the middle of the woods- <em>Alone</em>, <em>hurt</em>, and <em>scared</em>, because her father failed to provide for her.” Carlisle continued, his tone darkening despite his effort to keep his voice even. “Tell me, what <em>use</em> is a father who <em>fails</em> in his duties? Give me one good reason why I should allow you to live when you do <em>nothing</em> with your life but burden your child with your existence?”</p><p>He moved his hand away from the man’s mouth and waited. The man blubbered for a moment, looking back and forth between Carlisle and Demetri, who gave him a sinister hiss with his fangs bared.</p><p>“That was not a rhetorical question.” Carlisle said, keeping his voice down so that he wouldn’t wake Ana. “<em>Give me a reason why I should let you live</em>. You have ten seconds.”</p><p>The man looked back and forth between Carlisle and Demetri, both of whom were glaring at him with their fangs on full display. When he took in Demetri’s crimson eyes, he shuddered and fell to his knees on the ground in front of them.</p><p>“Please!” He whispered, his hands held up in surrender. “<em>Please</em>! I will do better! Do not kill me, please!”</p><p>“<em>How</em> will you do better?” Carlisle asked. “Be specific.”</p><p>The man gulped. “I will never touch a drop of drink again… I swear it.”</p><p>“That,” Carlisle prompted. “And you will tend to your farm daily. The roof will be fixed by tomorrow evening.”</p><p>He pulled a sack of coins from his pocket and handed it to the man, whose eyes went- if possible- even wider.</p><p>“If you spend this on <em>anything</em> but supplies for your farm and food for yourself and your daughter,” Carlisle cautioned. “I <em>will</em> know about it. You owe Ana more than this. She braved the cold to fetch firewood in the dead of night- <em>You</em> should have been the one doing that for <em>her</em>.”</p><p>“Yes…” The man said, looking down at where his daughter slept.</p><p>Carlisle turned away from him, went back to the fireplace, and felt the cloak; It was warm enough now. He took it and went back to Ana, covering her with it. She curled up tighter in the warmth, then opened her sleepy eyes to look up at him.</p><p>“Thank you…” She mumbled, smiling angelically.</p><p>“You are very welcome.” Carlisle said, tucking the cloak around her. “Your papa is going to take you into the market tomorrow. If he ever gives you <em>any</em> trouble again, this man-“</p><p>He gestured to Demetri, still standing by the door.</p><p>“- Will take care of things for you.” Carlisle finished, then looked over at Demetri. “<em>Won’t</em> you, Demetri?”</p><p>Demetri smiled at the man with his fangs bared. “Oh, <em>yes</em>. It would be my <em>pleasure</em>.”</p><p>Ana’s father shuddered, backing away from Demetri on his hands and knees. Carlisle said goodbye to Ana, gave a final warning stare to her father, then left with Demetri by his side.</p><p>“Well, well,” Demetri said, grinning as they ran back to Volterra. “Never thought that I would see the day when Carlisle Cullen would threaten an innocent human.”</p><p>“Some humans deserve it.” He said, smirking and rolling his eyes. “Besides, he was <em>far</em> from innocent.”</p><p>They returned to the hidden sewer entrance, and Carlisle instantly regretted taking so long with his charade; The lesser members of the Guard were bringing out the bodies from their latest meal. Dozens of limp corpses, their blank eyes open and staring at nothing.</p><p>That image stayed with Carlisle over the next few days. He had seen it happen before of course, having been here for so long… But somehow this instance affected him more deeply, and he didn’t quite understand why. He checked up on Ana and her father every night after he’d given the man his one and only warning. So far, he appeared to be keeping his word. Ana had a new dress, a pale blue fabric that looked expensive. She was also filling out, thanks to having meals at regular intervals once again. Once the weather warmed, even the man’s farm seemed to be improving. Sometimes Demetri tagged along with him, hoping that the man had slipped up so that he could indulge in his blood.</p><p>After a few months, Carlisle felt satisfied enough with the man’s progress to cease his constant surveillance. He tried to occupy himself with studies in the library with Aro, or sparring with Demetri or Felix, but nothing he did seemed to make him forget the empty feeling in his chest. A few months had passed when he’d come to his decision, and asked Aro to meet him so that they could speak privately.</p><p>“What troubles you, my friend?” Aro asked, sitting down in one of the armchairs by the fireplace in Carlisle’s room. His crimson eyes were fixed on Carlisle as he sat in the chair opposite him, his head tilted to one side as he waited for him to speak.</p><p>“I’ve been contemplating a few things recently…” Carlisle began. “I’m eternally grateful for everything you’ve done for me… but I think it’s time for me to move on.”</p><p>Aro sighed. “Well, I can’t tell you that I’m not <em>disappointed</em>… How have you come to this conclusion?”</p><p>“I’m not sure- It’s just a feeling I have. Due to my… <em>preferences</em>… I don’t belong here. You know better than anyone how I feel about your feeding situation, although I do understand it to a degree.”</p><p>“Where will you go?” Aro asked, looking over at him with his eyebrows furrowed. “You can’t honestly think you belong among <em>humans</em>, do you?”</p><p>Carlisle winced, remembering Giselle’s screams as she burned at the stake, all because of his interference. “<em>No</em>… I don’t think so.”</p><p>“Then, <em>stay</em>, my friend.” Aro implored, leaning forward in his armchair. “Where is there a better place for you to be, if not here?”</p><p>Carlisle shrugged. “I don’t know if there <em>is</em> such a place… But I owe it to myself to find out.”</p><p>Aro sighed. “Well… Allow me to give you a few things before you go. Please.”</p><p>Carlisle nodded. “I would be honored.”</p><p>Aro stood, darting out of the room and returning seconds later with a wooden box in his arms. He stood in front of Carlisle, held the box out to him, and opened the lid; Gold coins filled the box to the brim, enough money to buy himself a <em>ship</em>, not just a ticket.</p><p>“Aro, this is-“</p><p>“It is <em>not</em> too much.” Aro insisted, closing the lid and putting the box in Carlisle’s lap stubbornly. “I want your journey to be <em>comfortable</em>, wherever it may lead… Should it lead you back here, you will always be welcome.”</p><p>Carlisle was packed by the time the sun set that night. He said his goodbyes, and Jane shocked him by hugging him tightly around the waist.</p><p>“You were fun to spar.” She said, grinning up at him with a glint in her crimson eyes. “Come back soon to play- Felix is <em>boring</em>.”</p><p>Felix hissed at her from his place in line while the others who had come to see him off laughed. Alec waved goodbye from his place by Sulpicia’s side. The Queen gave Carlisle a curt nod, and he bowed his head respectfully. He turned to go, when a hand grabbed his shoulder. He turned back to see Eleazar, who was holding a sack over his shoulder.</p><p>“Would you mind some company for part of your journey?” He asked. “I’m returning to Spain for a while. I could show you my home before you return to yours.”<br/>Carlisle smiled. “Of course.”</p><p>“When will you <em>return</em>?” Sulpicia asked Eleazar, taking a small step forward. Her face was unreadable, but Carlisle detected a tone in her voice that suggested that Eleazar had not told her he was leaving.</p><p>Eleazar smiled at her and bowed his head. “I shall send word soon- It should not be for long.”</p><p>Sulpicia nodded, her jaw clenched. “We shall see you when you return then. Farewell, Carlisle.”</p><p>Carlisle bowed once more, waved to Aro, and set off with Eleazar. The two of them ran through the night until they reached Paris, then spent the day laying low until sunset, when they had set off again. They hunted in the mountains outside Barcelona before going into the city. Eleazar was thoughtful enough to hunt animals alongside Carlisle, and told him that he had begun to prefer it.</p><p>“<em>Really</em>?” Carlisle asked, one eyebrow raised.</p><p>“Yes.” Eleazar smiled. “The killing… I’d always viewed it as a <em>necessity</em>. The taste took some time to get used to, but I consider it well worth it.”</p><p>Carlisle was elated. By the time they had entered the city that night, Eleazar’s eyes were as golden as his were. They rented a room at an inn with forged identification they had gotten from Gilda, who Carlisle discovered did a <em>lot</em> more than just sew. He spent a few days letting Eleazar show him around his favorite parts of the city, even taking him to the house where he’d lived as a boy. All the while, Carlisle fretted over how to phrase his proposal; How to ask Eleazar if he would leave the Volturi, and stay with him instead. To form a coven of their own, where they could both belong, if only to each other.</p><p>On the fifth day however, they came across another vampire while out on a hunt; She was short and tan, with inky black hair and large crimson eyes. She studied them from the shadows for a moment before emerging from the trees.</p><p>“Hello.” She greeted, smiling up at them before locking eyes with Eleazar. “My name is Carmen. What brings you to Barcelona?”</p><p>“Lovely to meet you, Carmen.” Eleazar said, taking her hand and raising it to his lips on instinct, his eyes not straying an inch from hers. “Barcelona used to be my home when I was human. I was simply showing my friend Carlisle all my favorite places in the city.”</p><p>Carmen looked over at Carlisle, though he noticed she tore her eyes from Eleazar with reluctance. “Nice to meet you, Carlisle.”</p><p>“A pleasure.” He said, shaking her hand.</p><p>Carmen joined them almost immediately; She had lost her old coven to a territory dispute, both sides were destroyed save for her. Eleazar was able to convince her to try their way of hunting, and soon her eyes had changed from red to gold. Eleazar was absolutely <em>enamored</em> by every move she made. Though when Carlisle brought this to his attention, he acted quite shocked by it.</p><p>“What do you mean?” He asked, while Carlisle chuckled softly at him. “I didn’t- <em>Well</em>, Carmen’s very- She hasn’t <em>mentioned</em> anything about me to you, has she?”</p><p>Carlisle laughed harder. “If you had any blood in your cheeks, I believe you’d be blushing, Eleazar. <em>Tell</em> her, my friend- I can see that she feels the same.”</p><p>She did, of course, as Carlisle had expected. The two of them radiated joy wherever they went. They had taken a chance on interacting with the locals, and had opened a small restaurant that had only one small window by the door; Terrible for ambience, but useful for concealing their true nature during daylight hours.</p><p>A few weeks had passed, and Carlisle knew that he had spent much more time there than he had intended. He knew that Eleazar and Carmen deserved time alone to get to know each other properly, though they would <em>never</em> tell him that. So, it was over dinner one night- a few cattle from a farm nearby- that he told them that he was returning to England.</p><p>“Ah…” Eleazar said, frowning slightly. “I’d almost forgotten.”</p><p>“I don’t blame you.” Carlisle smiled, gesturing at Carmen. “You have a very good reason.”</p><p>“Why don’t we come with you?” Carmen asked, looking at Carlisle with her golden eyes shining with affection. “Eleazar and I were just discussing this- It is time to move on. One of the regular customers had been acting oddly, I think he may be aware of what we are. We were thinking that we would swim to America, tomorrow night.”</p><p>“<em>America</em>?” Carlisle asked, raising an eyebrow. “Why?”</p><p>“It’s new.” Eleazar smiled. “It’s <em>exciting</em>.”</p><p>“What about returning to the Volturi?” Carlisle asked.</p><p>He shrugged. “I will send word that I will not be returning. I have found the love of my life- Aro will understand.”</p><p>“<em>Perhaps</em>…” Carlisle said. “Something tells me that Sulpicia will not share his understanding.”</p><p>“That may be true.” Eleazar grinned over at Carmen. “I do not care.”</p><p>“Well, I’m very happy for you both.” Carlisle told them, then remembered something from decades earlier. “When you get to America, find a woman named Tanya, you remember her... Tell her that you know me, that should stop her from attacking you. She’ll be with two others, blonde like her. I only want to make sure that they’re alright, and you’ll be arriving there faster than I will be.”</p><p>“Aren’t we coming to England with you?” Carmen asked.</p><p>Carlisle shook his head. “My home is not a happy memory… I’d prefer to go alone. I’ll find you in America once I’ve finished there.”</p><p>They said goodbye that night on the outskirts of the city; Eleazar and Carmen travelling West, and Carlisle heading North. Swimming the Channel took little time, and he was able to find an abandoned cove to allow his clothes to dry in the sunlight. He waited for nightfall and went around the city, not wishing to pass directly through it; The memory of his last visit there still haunted him.</p><p>He reached the small village where he had lived. He considered for a moment visiting David before he left, before he remembered that it had been nearly ninety years since he’d seen him last… He was probably dead. For a moment, Carlisle was <em>jealous</em> of his old friend, but he shook the feeling off and continued on to where he remembered the willow tree being.</p><p>He found it on his second sweep of the town. Gabriel and Peter’s gravestones were still there, though they had been worn away by the passing years. Carlisle sighed, kneeling down and brushing dead leaves off of the tops.</p><p>“Hello, boys.” He said softly, sitting down in the ground in front of them. “It’s been a long time…”</p><p>He sat there in silence for a while, listening to the wind howling and the birds chirping.</p><p>“I miss both of you, <em>so</em> much.” He said, his voice thick. “I wish I could tell you everything that I’ve seen… I wish that I could ask you what I should <em>do</em> now. You were always so wise, Gabriel- wiser than me most of the time… I’d give <em>anything</em> just to see you both again…”</p><p>He stayed there for a few more minutes, prolonging the moment when he’d have to leave them again. Finally, he stood and dusted the dirt from his clothes. Carlisle hadn’t been planning on visiting the town itself, but he might as well. He didn’t think he could bear coming here again… He had to say goodbye, and move on, no matter how much it pained him.</p><p>He walked at human speed to the edge of town. Many things had changed over the years, but he was happy to see that his father’s church had <em>not</em> been saved. In its place was a small library, something that Tobias had actively fought the construction of when he had been alive. Carlisle smiled, imaging his father’s face going tomato-red at the sight of the building on his holy ground. There was a new church down the street, it’s bell ringing as the sun rose over the hilltops. Carlisle adjusted his hat and made sure that his hands were covered as he walked closer and closer to the center of town.</p><p>When he reached the town square, he stopped so suddenly that the man walking to work behind him almost collided into his back. He apologized, then stared back up at what had caused him to pause; A large statue of two men. Their hands were clasped together around a staff of Asclepius that they were holding high above their heads. At their feet was a plaque, which Carlisle rushed over to read.</p><p>
  <em>‘In Memorium: Gabriel Cullen and Peter Hallewell: Renowned Physicians and Healers. Beloved by All.’</em>
</p><p>Carlisle looked back up at the statues. The likenesses were nearly <em>exact</em>. He looked up into his sons’ faces, and suddenly his path became clear to him; He remembered how proud he’d been of Gabriel’s decision to be a physician, choosing to <em>help</em> people, rather than hunt monsters. He remembered how happy it had made him, though it had been incredibly hard work, Gabriel had said. He may not ever be able to speak to Gabriel or Peter again, but he could at <em>least</em> honor their memory.</p><p>Smiling up at his sons faces one last time, Carlisle walked as fast as he dared back out of the town. Once he had nothing but farmland surrounding him, he set off quickly for Plymouth, where he knew he could book passage on a ship. There was a medical school in Boston that he had heard of, only established a few years ago. He considered swimming there to save time, but Aro <em>had</em> given him enough money for his own private escort if he wished. So, he bought himself a First Class ticket, settling in for the journey and only emerging from his compartment after nightfall.</p><p>They arrived in Boston after two months, and Carlisle was all too eager to depart from the vessel. He spent a few days exploring the city before heading to the school. Thanks to the forged documents, he was enrolled almost immediately. It was challenging, being near so many humans at once, <em>particularly</em> when they were slicing into corpses in front of him. Still, he pushed forward with his plans, studying into the late hours of the night in the small room he had rented.</p><p>When he graduated for the first time, he was happier than he could remember being in quite some time. He gained steady work apprenticing for a while until opening his own practice. He stayed in Boston for as long as he could without arousing suspicion, then moved further inland to a different town. After a few decades, it took him very little effort to maintain his restraint around human blood. Nearly a century later, it took him none at all.</p><p>He went back to Italy to visit Aro in the winter of nineteen eleven, and returned to America in April of the next year. Unfortunately, the ship that he had booked passage on had been sieged by a coven of vampires, who had <em>intentionally</em> sank the ship to feed on the passengers. Carlisle had tried to stop them, but he had been <em>greatly</em> outnumbered. He had barely escaped with his life, swimming to shore near Brooklyn and spending a few years working in Philadelphia before disaster struck; A pandemic, spreading quickly across the States.</p><p>Carlisle knew that he would be immune to it, but his human colleagues were not. He watched as they died alongside their patients, finally giving up and only sending in the nurses, staying well away from the more infected wards so that they could stay healthy enough to continue working on those they could still save. Carlisle was the only doctor who would enter these wards, staying with the victims as long as he could before they inevitably succumbed to the fever.</p><p>There was a hotspot of the flu in Chicago, and the city had sent out word begging for more doctors. Carlisle answered the call without hesitation. When he arrived at the hospital where he had been assigned, he insisted on working with the patients who were suffering the most. The hospital director found this odd when Carlisle said this, but did not question him. After all, none of his other employees would go in those wards willingly.</p><p>He spent the first few days spending time with each of the patients, going over their charts and correcting mistakes that had been made by other doctors. Some of the patients under his care recovered smoothly with his help, while others were far too sick for his intervention to do them any good.</p><p>One of these patients had become a favorite of Carlisle’s; Elizabeth Masen. A short, stout, pale woman, with green eyes and curly ginger hair. Her husband Edward Sr., and her son Edward Jr., had both contracted the sickness shortly after she did. The boy had experienced minor symptoms when he was brought in, and both his parents insisted on distancing themselves from him until they had gotten better.</p><p>Until a few nights ago, Elizabeth and her husband had shared a room… but he had passed away in the early morning, and since then, her own health had begun to deteriorate as well. She went even paler as time went on, and Carlisle sat by her bedside holding her cold hand in his.</p><p>“Doctor Cullen…” Elizabeth wheezed, looking around for him in a daze with her eyes glazed over.</p><p>“I’m right here, Mrs. Masen.” Carlisle said, giving her frail hand a gentle squeeze.</p><p>She tried to speak again, but fell into a coughing fit that took several moments to die down. When she finally managed to get her words out, she was looking at him with desperation in her eyes. “My son… Save my son. <em>Please</em>.”</p><p>Carlisle nodded. “I will do my best, I promise.”</p><p>“<em>No</em>!” She insisted, reaching forward suddenly and grabbing the front of his white overcoat. He allowed her to pull him forward, knowing that she would pull herself out of bed if he didn’t. “<em>Save</em> him. Do whatever you have to do… What only you can do for him, Carlisle Cullen.”</p><p>He froze; <em>He had never told her his first name</em>. “How…”</p><p>Elizabeth smiled, laying back on the bed and letting go of him, letting her arm fall to her side. “You are a great legend in my family, <em>Stregoni Benefici</em>… Save my son, Carlisle. <em>Please</em>…”</p><p>Carlisle watched as her eyes closed. Her chest heaved one final time, and she was still. He stared at her, shock and disbelief clouding his mind; Only <em>one</em> human had ever called him Stregoni Benefici… Only <em>one</em> human would pass that name and knowledge on to his next of kin…</p><p>He stood more slowly than was necessary, unsure of his next move. Gently, he moved Elizabeth’s arms under her sheet, pulling it up over her head. Bending down, he pressed his lips to her forehead.</p><p>“<em>Thank</em> <em>you</em>…” He whispered, his voice shaking.</p><p>Leaving her body behind, he went out into the hallway. He walked to the nurse’s station and asked one of the white-hatted women behind the desk, “Excuse me, do you have a free moment?”</p><p>“What can I do for you, Doctor Cullen?” She asked, looking up at him with her fingers hovering over the typewriter she had been using to transcript patients’ medical records.</p><p>“I was wondering if I could have the file for Edward Masen, Junior.” He said. “I’m afraid his mother just passed away…”</p><p>The nurse nodded sadly, looking behind her and pulling out a large stack of files. She searched for a moment, finding it just a few files from the top. “Here it is… <em>Oh</em>… It looks like he was transferred to a hospice ward this morning… Maybe it would be best to <em>not</em> tell him…”</p><p>She looked up at Carlisle sheepishly, as if she feared she had offended him by questioning his judgement- Some of the other doctors here had extremely short tempers.</p><p>“No, you’re quite right, Penelope.” He told her, reading her nametag at a glance. “The poor boy has been through enough.”</p><p>She smiled. “You can call me <em>Penny</em> if you like, Doctor Cullen… All my friends do.”</p><p>He smiled back politely. “It was lovely to meet you, Penny. Thank you for your help.”</p><p>He turned and headed for the ward where Edward Masen had been moved. He found him in a room with a single bed at the end of a dimly lit hall. There were no doctors this far down, and only a few of the braver, more compassionate nurses. Carlisle watched the boy for a long time before knocking softly on the doorframe. Edward didn’t wake. His eyes stayed closed, darting back and forth as he dreamed.</p><p>There was a chair beside the bed, and Carlisle sank into it, staring at the sickly teenager and contemplating his choice; Elizabeth had given her permission, practically <em>begged</em> him to do it, her dying wish… and oh, how <em>desperate</em> he was to honor that wish. Not only for her, but for himself. He had spent <em>centuries</em> alone, the only one of his kind… A Stregoni Benefici. Now, here was a chance for him to end his solitary condition. But could he do it? Did he have the <em>strength</em> to taste human blood- the <em>first</em> human blood he had tasted since he had killed Tobias all those years ago- and <em>pull away from it</em>?</p><p>Edward stirred, snapping Carlisle out of his own racing thoughts. The boy’s green eyes met Carlisle’s golden ones, and he attempted to raise his head.</p><p>“Don’t sit up.” Carlisle said gently, placing a hand on the side of Edward’s face and guiding him back to the pillow. “My name is Carlisle Cullen… I’m your mother’s doctor.”</p><p>Edward gave no indication that he had understood him, but laid back and closed his eyes, appearing to not have the strength to reply. As he lay there, Carlisle listened to his breathing, not requiring the assistance of a stethoscope; His lungs were filled with fluid. His pulse was slowing exponentially by the second. The boy was on death’s door. It was now or never.</p><p>A plan formed in Carlisle’s head as he worked, pulling the sheet over Edward’s head the way he had Elizabeth’s. The bed that he was on had wheels, and he pulled Edward’s seemingly lifeless body out into the hall. He kept his head down, walking to the elevator and pressing the button for the basement. Once the elevator doors had opened again with a musical chime, he wheeled the bed to a corner, pulling Edward’s limp body over his shoulder and running full out through the back door that led to the alley.</p><p>The apartment that Carlisle had rented was only a few buildings over from the hospital. He had arranged it that way, so that he could excuse spending longer hours working since his commute was so short. There were <em>far</em> too many witnesses there, he needed privacy, <em>miles</em> of it… He ran down the deserted alley in the pitch blackness, out of the city and into the surrounding wilderness. Once he was satisfied with the distance, he set Edward gently on the ground.</p><p>Carlisle inhaled deeply; He couldn’t smell any other humans aside from Edward. He wrung his hands together as he looked down at the dying boy that he’d promised to save, no matter the cost. Steeling himself, he focused on the shallowly beating pulse he could just barely hear over the sound of the wind in the trees. He took a deep breath, leaned forward, and sank his fangs into Edward’s neck.</p><p>The taste was incredible. Indescribable. <em>Intoxicating</em>. Carlisle growled quietly as he drank, Edward’s limp body twitching under him. For a moment, a small voice in the back of his head told him not to stop- to keep drinking until the boy was <em>completely</em> <em>empty</em>…</p><p>Carlisle gasped, pulling back and throwing himself against a far tree in an effort to stop feeding. He held his breath again, wiping the corners of his mouth with his sleeve and resisting the urge to lick it off. As he looked over at where Edward was lying, they boy began to stir. He was groaning, his face twisting in agony as Carlisle’s venom spread. It took only moments for his green eyes to fly open, and a loud scream echoed through the stillness of the night.</p><p>Carlisle darted over to him, still holding his breath. “I know it hurts, Edward… I’m <em>so</em> <em>sorry</em>. You’re going to be alright.”</p><p>Edward’s screams grew as the venom spread, and Carlisle stayed with him all the while, comforting him as he cried. After a few hours, Edward was curled in a fetal position, his head in Carlisle’s lap as tears poured from his eyes.</p><p>“My mother…” Edward whimpered, looking up at Carlisle with his eyes pleading. “I want my mother… Where is she?”</p><p>Carlisle’s jaw clenched, and Edward seemed to know his answer without him saying a word. His sobs intensified, and Carlisle shifted him so that he could hold him to his chest.</p><p>“I’m so sorry, Edward… You should know, your mother loved you <em>very</em> <em>much</em>. Saving you was her very last wish…”</p><p>He stayed with Edward as the sun rose, and as it set again. <em>Finally</em>, Edward’s pain lessened. He was able to stay silent now, and Carlisle noticed his eyes turning slowly from green to crimson. As the last of the venom burned away his humanity, Edward Masen sat up. He looked down at his hands, which were no longer frail and withered to the bone. They were still slender, but they no longer looked like the hands of a young man condemned to death. He looked at Carlisle, his expression bewildered.</p><p>“Hello, Edward.” Carlisle said, smiling and holding out a hand to him. “My name is Carlisle Cullen… It’s lovely to formally meet you.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Mary Alice Brandon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Her alarm sounded at exactly seven-o’clock in the evening, just before sundown. She shut it off, got up from the bed that she no longer had any real use for, and walked across the room to the open window. The last rays of sunlight hit her face, and refracted onto the walls around her, where the faded blue paper had begun to peel in places. Despite her despair at her fate, she couldn’t help but admire the effect as she twisted her hand in front of her; A kaleidoscope of colors, shifting and shimmering. She remembered how she’d reacted to the phenomenon the first time; Awed and entranced, standing side by side with the husband she’d feared she had lost.</p>
<p>She had <em>begged</em> him not to enlist. Pleaded with him for weeks on end, insisting that there were <em>plenty</em> of younger men fighting already- that they didn’t need his help, that he was nearly forty and that they’d certainly sent him to the front as cannon-fodder… He had been insistent, however. He’d left her alone in their shabby New York apartment, and she’d gotten a telegram informing her that he was MIA only six months later.</p>
<p>The news had destroyed her so utterly that she no longer knew who she was. She’d stayed in her bed for weeks. She barely ate. Her parents had long since died. She had no other family. She used what was left of their savings to live on, but it hadn’t been enough. She was forced to move in with a friend when the landlord kicked her out after three months of missing the rent. She stayed there for a while, until her friend was proposed to by her steady boyfriend, and she’d had to move out. Still, the empty space where George should have been followed her no matter where she wandered to.</p>
<p>When he’d shown up out of nowhere nearly eight months later- still in his army uniform, covered in blood, but looking better than he had in <em>years</em>- she ran at full speed across the park where she’d been sleeping and into his arms… failing to notice that his eyes had shifted from a light blue, to a deep crimson. Her sudden proximity had been too much for his newly acquired bloodlust. He had sank his fangs deep into her neck before she’d had time to ask him where he’d been, or how he’d made it home to her after all this time.</p>
<p>It was only by a sudden strength of will that he had been able to stop himself from killing her. The pain of the venom had been unbearable- burning from her neck down the rest of her body, through every limb until every cell was screaming in agony. George had ran with her to safety while she’d cried, apologizing to her endlessly through gritted teeth as he restrained himself from hurting her further. He had only meant to get one last glimpse of her before moving on… but when she’d run to him, crying his name, tears pouring down her face, he hadn’t been able to leave her… Not again. <em>Never</em> <em>again</em>, he’d promised.</p>
<p>When the pain had finally ended, he explained to her what she was now… What they both were. He told her of how he’d been cut down in battle, and had laid there burning until he’d awoken feeling stronger than he ever had in his life. When he’d gotten to his feet and looked around at the carnage, there had been a few others who had appeared to have gone through a similar ordeal. A man- whom George had described as tall and lanky, with dirty blonde hair and a crooked smile- had stood in the center of the field, tall and proud, like he’d been waiting for them. He had welcomed them, and explained how he had ‘<em>gifted</em>’ them with immortality in the confusion of the battle. He had told George and the other soldiers that they were to fight a new war now- a war that had been raging for centuries, a war that he intended to finish with their help.</p>
<p>George no longer had any desire to fight in another war. He had been one of three freshly turned solders who had tried to turn and run… but sadly, the only one to escape. He fled the strange man and his immortal war, and he’d wandered the countryside for a few months until he’d finally decided to come home. He apologized for not being strong enough to resist feeding on and changing her, but she hadn’t cared in the slightest; Her husband was home, and that was all that had mattered to her at the time.</p>
<p>Sighing, she looked down at the wedding ring that she had refused to take off, turning it absently a few times before darting over to the vanity to get herself ready for work. She turned on the radio beside her, listening to the smooth jazz number coming through the speaker as she examined her reflection. Her thick, dark brown hair hung down her back, and she brushed it out of habit even though it was now impervious to tangles. Once she had tied it up in the tight bun that she was required to wear, she took out the tin of mascara, then reluctantly looked into the mirror to apply it.</p>
<p>Her eyes weren’t as bright as she had feared. When she resisted her thirst for as long as she had now, her golden eyes faded to a dark brown, nearly identical to the color they’d been while she was still human. Another day or two, and they would be completely black. Still, <em>far</em> better than the crimson she would be faced with were she still feeding on humans. It had been agonizing, looking into eyes the same as the ones that had callously taken George away from her for a second time…</p>
<p>It had been only eight, blissful months after they had reunited. They had been feeding on a traveler who had wandered off the road, when the black-cloaked figures had appeared from the trees. They had tried to run, but they were outnumbered and cornered in moments.</p>
<p>A man that she had mistaken as the leader- tall, imposing, with olive skin and dark hair- told them that George had been too conspicuous with his kills in France on his way home. He had been seen by several humans fleeing a massacre in Cannes, and another in Bordeaux. They had been tracking him ever since. That was when she had understood why he always wanted to leave a place after a few days… Why he wouldn’t take her back to Europe, even though he knew that she had always wanted to see Rome.</p>
<p>The hole in her heart ached as she dwelled on it, but she couldn’t help herself. She let the tin of mascara clatter onto the table as her husband’s last moments replayed in her head, the last thing he’d ever told her echoing in her mind…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“You are both sentenced to death.” The man told them, his voice as emotionless as his face. “Say your goodbyes, if you wish.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“No!” George launched himself at him, but not to attack. He got on his knees in front of the cloaked figures, his hands outstretched. “Please! Kill me if you must, but please, not my wife- she did nothing wrong, she knew nothing of this!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The man who had proclaimed the sentence glanced over his shoulder, to a young girl that she hadn’t noticed at first. Her round, almost cherubic face was pensive as she glared down at George.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“What do you think, Jane?” The man asked her, as if she were the authority here.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The girl’s glare intensified suddenly, and George screamed so loudly that a flock of birds took flight out of a nearby tree.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“George!” She tried to go to him, but the pair of men holding her by the arms were too strong for her.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>When George finally stopped screaming, he staggered to his feet, staring wide-eyed at the deceptively angelic child.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Now,” Jane said, smiling down at him. “Tell me the truth… Was your wife with you in France when you committed these crimes?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“No, I swear it…” George said, his voice shaking as he recovered from whatever she had just done to him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Jane looked over at her now, with a wicked glint in her eyes behind her innocent-looking smile. “And you… Same question.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She shook her head vigorously, but swallowed and managed to whisper, “Please… Please, we will never, never be so careless again… Please, let us go, give us another chance…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The girl grinned wider, and a pain impossibly more unbearable than her immortal transformation tore through her every nerve. George yelled for her, but as quickly as the pain had come, it had gone, and she was panting in the arms of her assailants, shaking and staring in horror across the field at her husband, who was now being restrained by two cloaked figures of his own. His red eyes were desperate as he struggled to get to her, still pleading for them to spare her.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“The Volturi do not give second chances.” Jane said in a cheerful, sing-song voice.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I believe that your father would spare the woman,” The dark-haired man interjected, though he didn’t seem like he cared one way or the other. “Were he here to read her past and prove her innocence.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Jane glared at him, and for a moment it looked like he was afraid that she would use her burning power on him next. When she spoke, it was in a carefully restrained tone. “This is my decision, Demetri… Mother entrusted me with this assignment. I feel that she would prefer to clean up the entire mess, rather than shove things away and hope that they don’t become bigger problems later- Others may begin to question the Volturi’s effectiveness if we allow for exceptions.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Of course, Princess.” Demetri said, shrugging. “It was merely a suggestion. Feel free to dispose of them both, if you feel it necessary.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Jane considered for a moment, glancing between her and George while the two of them shared a silent conversation across the field. His eyes were filled with sorrow, and she tried to convey her forgiveness and unwavering love back to him through hers.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Very well…” Jane said at last, though her tone was still hesitant. “Your wife will be spared, George Holstein. The same, unfortunately, does not hold true for you.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She cried out desperately and fought against the men holding her, but it did no good. She watched as George sighed in relief even as two more cloaked figures descended upon him, one on either side. As the one called Demetri grabbed his head, George looked over at her one last time and said, “I love you, Lottie. I’m so-“</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>His words were silenced. She collapsed onto the ground as George’s body was burned into ash in front of her, shaking from the sobs escaping through her fingers.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Charlotte blinked rapidly, tilting her head back so that her tears wouldn’t ruin her mascara. They’d left her there with the pillar of purple smoke that had once been her husband. She’d stayed there for <em>weeks</em>, hoping to starve herself. She’d failed of course, sinking her teeth into the first human that had been unfortunate enough to cross her path. She’d felt a guilt afterwards that she’d never felt before after feeding… thinking of who would be missing her prey the way that she was missing George.</p>
<p>Knowing that death by starvation wasn’t an option- and that George would have wanted her to do so- she did her best to go on without him. Still, every time she fed or passed her crimson-eyed reflection, she was reminded of the young Princess who had sentenced her husband to death, and the cloaked figures who had carried out the order. It hadn’t been very long until she’d stopped hunting humans altogether. After a few feedings on the local wildlife, she discovered that animal blood was sustainable enough- without the same sinister effect on her eyes. It had been a small relief, but a welcome one all the same.</p>
<p>Charlotte had lived in solitude for nearly a whole year before the loneliness had crept in at her; She’d never been good at being alone. When she was human, she’d had a mother who had completely doted upon her from the moment she’d been born, and a rather large circle of friends at school. George had been a part of that circle, and they’d gotten married right after her graduation. She’d wanted to feel <em>normal</em>, to have <em>friends</em>, even if she would have to move on before they realized that she was frozen forever at thirty-seven, and survived by drinking blood. Somehow, she didn’t think she’d be invited to a lot of dinner parties if that were to be discovered.</p>
<p>She’d headed south, as far from New York as she could go, to a town called Jackson, Mississippi. It was sunny and humid most of the year, which would make hiding her secret challenging- but it also meant that she was <em>far</em> less likely to come into contact with other vampires. She managed to find herself an abandoned apartment to squat in during the day, and she went out to hunt at night along the many riverbanks that made up most of the state.</p>
<p>When the bills had arrived about a week after she had, she realized that the previous tenants had to have ditched town without telling the landlord. Charlotte thought that was <em>incredibly</em> rude- but at the same time, she was grateful for their lack of manners; She could simply continue to pay the bills in their name to keep the lights on for herself, and she wouldn’t have to worry about finding somewhere new when the room was inevitably rented back out again.</p>
<p>Having no documentation or money of her own- being dead will do that, unfortunately- Charlotte had gotten herself a job as a maid at the Mississippi State Insane Asylum. It was a large facility, and they were so overrun with patients that they’d given her the job without asking too many questions about her past. It was grueling work for very little pay, but she didn’t need much. She simply needed enough for the bills, and a few occasional comforts.</p>
<p>The radio host’s voice interrupted the music, informing the listeners of the time and giving an update on the decisions made by President Wilson regarding the Great War. Charlotte checked her reflection and stood up, turning the radio off again as she did so. She grabbed her bag and keys from the table by the door, and stopped by the mirror to check her reflection. The crisp white uniform that she had altered this morning fit her much better now- Just an added couple of inches to the waist to make room for her hips.</p>
<p>The uniform that Ms. Bates had given her would have fit her human body, but not her immortal one. The venom that had turned back the clock on George’s wrinkles and fixed his bum knee, had also done a thing or two for <em>her</em>; As a human, she’d been fragile and sickly most of her life. Most of her bones had been visible through her skin, no matter how much she ate. She’d come down with pneumonia so often, her mother could see the signs <em>days</em> in advance. As an immortal, she’d gotten the figure she’d always envied- the curves and features of the women she had seen in Renaissance paintings. Her thighs had thickened, as had her arms- her bony elbows now hidden beneath layers of soft flesh. Her cheeks no longer looked sunken, but were plump and rosy, full of a life that had been absent when she had actually <em>been</em> alive.</p>
<p>She admired her silhouette for a moment longer before leaving, locking the door carefully behind her. There weren’t many people out this late. Most of the ones that were bustling by in carriages or their fancy new cars- or on foot like she was- were headed <em>home</em> after a long day’s work. A tall man with an obscenely long mustache and mutton chops tipped his hat in greeting as he passed, and she smiled back at him politely before continuing on.</p>
<p>It wasn’t a very long walk, even by human standards, and she was there in minutes. The asylum was a series of large, brick buildings connected by staggered corridors. There were bars on all the windows and large, sprawling grounds all around it. The front was a flat expanse of green grass, while the back was continuously covered in fresh mounds of dirt as more and more of the patients died under their care… Very few of them had their bodies claimed by family, and were left there to rot.</p>
<p>Charlotte walked up the stone steps of the center building and through the double doors, and stopped- well, dead- with her mouth hanging open; The sparse white walls and white tile floor were covered in what looked like a gallon of tonight’s dinner. <em>Brilliant</em>. Really wonderful. <em>Just</em> what she needed as soon as she clocked in.</p>
<p>Before she could ask what had happened, Mildred Bates- a thin, frail woman in her mid-seventies with little tolerance for nonsense- shuffled around the corner, muttering to herself as she dragged a mop and bucket behind her. Charlotte watched her struggle, wondering why she hadn’t retired yet- other than the fact that she enjoyed bossing people around.</p>
<p>“Oh, good, you’re <em>finally</em> here!” Mildred said gruffly, handing over the cleaning supplies and wiping some of the food off of her formerly white uniform with a dirty towel from her apron.</p>
<p>Charlotte narrowed her eyes and glanced at the clock on the wall; She was five minutes <em>early</em>.</p>
<p>Mildred continued on without waiting for a response. “Perkins had a bit of a meltdown, as you can see. He tossed his dinner at Newman for calling his mother something that I, as a <em>lady</em>, will <em>not</em> be repeating- but he missed and hit Jacobs and, well, you know how <em>he</em> gets. He managed to get the entire mess hall up in a fuss, had nearly twenty of them running around throwing everything they hadn’t eaten yet- and I’m afraid Deirdre called out sick tonight, so it’ll be just you and I tonight, as Sarah’s still on vacation- Get cleaning, will you? I’ll take your things to the staff room and lock it up for you, then I’ll be right back with another mop.”</p>
<p>Charlotte wordlessly traded her bag for the mop and bucket- knowing by now that it was best not to argue, especially with her this worked up- and got to work scrubbing the worst of the food off the wall nearest her. Mildred did not return, but Charlotte had known that she wouldn’t. No doubt she was back in the staff room, listening to her favorite radio show while she left all of the hard work for <em>her</em> to finish.</p>
<p>She scrubbed and scraped at human speed as doctors and nurses stalked past her, escorting the last of their patients back to their rooms and giving the receptionists their paperwork to file as they went. Most of them were yawning and checking their watches, eager to return home to a hot meal their wives had made for them.</p>
<p>The entryway was almost pristine again, and all of the day staff were nearly gone, when a new patient was brought in by her family. Charlotte winced, and wished that she could clean at her speed, so that she wouldn’t have to witness it. Certainly, the lateness of the arrival indicated a family that didn’t want their <em>precious</em> reputation sullied by the one they were leaving here. Bringing them in <em>this</em> late lessened the chances of someone they knew witnessing it, and the incident becoming gossip at the next brunch that they hosted.</p>
<p>The girl they were dropping off was young, <em>barely</em> sixteen at most. Her long black hair was coming loose from it’s braid as she thrashed against the orderlies leading her sternly by the arms into the building. Her parents were talking to the head physician, both of them looking solemn. The man had his arm around his wife, who was reaching into a furred sleeve to withdraw her handkerchief and wipe the tears from her eyes. They didn’t even spare their daughter a second glance, even as she was screaming at the top of her lungs. The sound tore at Charlotte’s heart, and she watched as the girl was led away.</p>
<p>“Please, you <em>have</em> to believe me!” She was pleading, looking desperately back at her parents. “I’m not lying, I’m <em>not</em> crazy- She’s going to <em>kill</em> you! You have to listen to me, <em>please</em>!”</p>
<p>Her pleas fell on deaf ears, however. Her mother sobbed harder into the handkerchief she was holding, and her husband patted her on the back as he listened to the physician. Even from here, Charlotte could hear what they were saying.</p>
<p>“-promise you, Mr. Brandon, your daughter will be just <em>fine</em>.” He was saying, pushing his glasses higher up his nose with a stubby finger. “We should have these disturbing delusions of hers cured in no time at all. I’ll keep you updated on our progress daily, as requested.”</p>
<p>“Thank you…” The girl’s father said, his voice husky and his dark eyes swimming with the tears he was holding back. Charlotte rolled her eyes; If he was so upset by abandoning his daughter here, then why do it at all?</p>
<p>She glared after the pair of them as they left. By now, she knew perfectly well that many young women were thrown into places like this all over the country for no good reason at all. The broader diagnosis of Hysteria was used to condemn any girl or young woman who had been deemed ‘<em>difficult</em>’ by her family. Many of them wasted away in these walls, and Charlotte had a feeling that this girl would be the next. What had been their daughter’s affliction? A few nightmares that she had taken too seriously? The poor girl needed <em>comfort</em>, not medical treatment. And what if she was telling the truth? What if there <em>was</em> a woman that was going to kill her parents? Unlikely, but still at least worth verifying, for the sake of all sanities involved.</p>
<p>She watched as the physician walked over to one of the orderlies standing by the desk to hand her the paperwork. The girl was led down a flight of stairs, still fighting her hardest against her captors. Charlotte was shocked at the strength she displayed, despite her diminutive frame. As she passed, Charlotte caught a small whiff of the girl’s scent; Sweet, and floral, like honeysuckle. Her thirst flared suddenly, and she held her breath again, gritting her teeth in an effort to restrain herself.</p>
<p>“Sedate her, for now.” The doctor told the orderly. “We’ll begin the first treatment in an hour, I don’t think we can afford to wait- I’ll be back in a jiff, I need to eat something.”</p>
<p>He walked away, and the orderly he had spoken to followed the new arrival down the stairs to relay his instructions to the others.</p>
<p>“<em>Mrs</em>. <em>Holstein</em>!” Mildred snapped, giving her a stern look from across the room where she’d appeared out from the staff room door. “No time to eavesdrop tonight- Get back to work.”</p>
<p>“Sorry, ma’am.” She said, but cursed under her breath as soon as Mildred had turned her back.</p>
<p>It was a few hours before she got her first break. Mildred’s laziness had the singular benefit of leaving her unsupervised, so she had been able to use some of her vampiric speed when no one was around. She’d managed to spruce up most of the dining hall, and was planning on tackling the commons next, when the thought of the terrified girl crept back into her head; Where was she now? What kind of treatment had the physician prescribed? She was so young, she hoped that they were at least taking that into consideration. She was a child, she shouldn’t even <em>be</em> here…</p>
<p>Charlotte shook her head. It would do her no good to worry herself over the poor girl… She knew what would happen to her in here, and there was nothing that she could do about it. She went back to cleaning and pushed the girl to the back of her mind.</p>
<p>She tried very hard not to dwell on the girl’s fate, but she couldn’t help herself. Several days passed, and she spent every one of them wondering what was happening to her. It wasn’t until she overheard Mildred telling Dierdre about her over their lunch, that her curiosity got the better of her.</p>
<p>“-screaming her head off, Dee, like you wouldn’t believe.” Mildred was saying, sipping her cup of black coffee and dabbing the corners of her red lips with her napkin. “I heard her all the way down the hall. Her parents must be relieved to have <em>that</em> taken off their hands, that’s all I have to say.”</p>
<p>Charlotte narrowed her eyes, ignoring the urge to tell Mildred off.</p>
<p>“So, <em>has</em> anyone killed her parents?” Dierdre asked.</p>
<p>“No, not as far as I know- Her father told Dr. Smith to call daily with updates, and I heard him giving one yesterday, so he’d have to be alive, wouldn’t he? Unless it was a dead man he was talking to.”</p>
<p>The two of them cackled, and Charlotte excused herself from the room as casually as she could. She walked back into the foyer and inhaled deeply, but carefully. She recognized a few of the scents that belonged to her coworkers, and sorted through them until one stood out sharply against the others; Faint, but still noticeable. Floral and sweet. She focused, following the scent downstairs and along a dimly lit corridor.</p>
<p>The scent was stronger for a moment, and she stopped to look into the room next to her. Her heart dropped; It was the electroshock therapy room. It was empty now, but the equipment was still humming quietly after its recent use. She moved faster, grateful that she seemed to be the only staff member in this wing of the asylum. It was reserved for extreme cases of psychosis. Even most of the guards tended to avoid it unless they were bringing someone in or out, or one of them wandered in drunkenly by mistake. Still, Charlotte couldn’t be too careful. She kept an ear out for any footsteps as she checked the nameplates on every door she passed, ignoring the yells and jeers of some of the patients who were still awake.</p>
<p>Finally, she found her. The nameplate was paper, and written on it in blue ink was the name, ‘<em>Mary A. Brandon.</em>’ Charlotte looked through the small window in the door, and saw the girl curled up in the corner of the room, her arms held tightly around her torso in a straight-jacket. They’d probably stuffed her in one when she wouldn’t stop fighting them. Her jaw clenched; Could they really blame her for being afraid? Any one of them would be fighting tooth and nail too, if it were them being thrown into this place. She knew <em>she</em> would be, if it were her.</p>
<p>Charlotte glanced around her to check that the coast was clear before grabbing the handle. It was locked, of course. That wasn’t an issue for her, though. She thought about breaking it, but then she thought about the punishment the girl would certainly face when it was discovered in the morning- no matter how impossible it was for her to have done it. She bit her lip before reaching up into her hair and removing one of the pins. A few loose hairs fell around her face as she shoved it into the keyhole. It only took a few seconds to pick the lock, and the heavy door swung open.</p>
<p>As she entered, the girl stirred, struggling to a sitting position and staring up at her with tired, deep brown eyes.</p>
<p>“<em>Oh</em>…” She said, blinking sleepily up at her. “Hello, Charlotte.”</p>
<p>Charlotte blinked. “<em>Hello</em>…”</p>
<p>The girl smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to do that.”</p>
<p>“That’s alright…” Charlotte said. Although she was, admittedly, more than a little unnerved. She came into the room and closed the door quietly behind her, then sat down on the small cot by the girl’s bare feet. “How <em>did</em> you know my name, if you don’t mind my asking?”</p>
<p>She sighed and looked down at the dirty concrete floor. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you… No one ever does.”</p>
<p>“Try me.” Charlotte smiled, trying to reassure her. She could see the marks on the girl’s ankles from the restraints that had held her to the table for the ‘treatment,’ and a lump formed in her throat.</p>
<p>The girl hesitated, as if deciding whether or not Charlotte could be trusted. Finally, she said, “I saw you decide to come and check on me… In my head.”</p>
<p>“I see…” Charlotte said, not sure what to make of this, but keeping her face neutral. It sounded <em>ludicrous</em>, but how else could she have known… Deciding that it was best not to question her for now, she asked, “And, your name is Mary? I saw it by the door.”</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes and grimaced. “Yes, that is my first name. I don’t like it, though. It makes me sound like my grandmother- It’s her name, really.”</p>
<p>Charlotte grinned. “Then, what should I call you?”</p>
<p>“I like my middle name- Alice.”</p>
<p>“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Alice.” Charlotte said, then her smile faded. “I’m sorry that we have to meet under these circumstances, though…”</p>
<p>Alice looked away, trying to get comfortable in the restraints the orderlies had placed her in.</p>
<p>“How old are you, Alice?” Charlotte asked, sure that she wouldn’t like the answer.</p>
<p>“I turn sixteen in a week.” Alice told her. “I was supposed to have a party… All my friends were invited.”</p>
<p>Charlotte tried not to react as strongly as she was on the inside; <em>A fifteen year old girl</em>, sent here? She had half a mind to track her parents down and give them such a lecture they’d never forget it. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and regretted it instantly; Alice smelled very, <em>very</em> good when they were this close together. It took a great effort to stop herself from lunging at the poor girl. As she composed herself, she remembered why Alice had been brought in.</p>
<p>“When you arrived,” Charlotte began, treading carefully. Alice had been through so much already, she didn’t want to make it worse. “You were saying something about someone… killing your parents? Did you see that in your head, too?”</p>
<p>Tears filled Alice’s eyes. “I tried to warn them… They shouldn’t have sent me here, all she wanted was me, and now she’s going to take it out on them, it’s all my fault…”</p>
<p>Charlotte’s eyebrows rose. “Who is <em>she</em>?”</p>
<p>“A woman I met…” Alice explained, sniffling as the tears rolled down her rosy cheeks. “I don’t know her name. She bumped into me while I was at the bank with my father… I didn’t think anything of it at first, but then I saw her coming for me… I’d had hallucinations like that all my life, but I’d never told anyone, even when they ended up coming true sometimes… I didn’t want to end up <em>here</em>.”</p>
<p>Charlotte nodded, feeling an urge to reach out and hug her, but resisting it. “You <em>did</em> tell them, though.”</p>
<p>Alice nodded. “I had to- I saw her coming for me one night, only a few moments before she broke through my window. I called out, but she was gone by the time my father got there… He asked me what had happened and I… I told him everything.”</p>
<p>“What did this woman look like?” Charlotte asked her. She knew that when human women wanted someone dead, they didn’t usually resort to breaking into their homes in the dead of night. They used poison, or other methods that relied on cunning and wit, not brute strength… A woman on a violent killing spree- especially a woman targeting a child she had no connection to- was <em>highly</em> unusual… She had a sinking feeling in her stomach that she knew why Alice had been targeted, and by <em>what</em>.</p>
<p>“She was a little taller than me, but older…” Alice said, her brow furrowing as she tried to remember. “She had curly red hair and… It was dark, but I could have sworn… her eyes were red, too.”</p>
<p>Charlotte froze; Just as she’d thought. “And… You think she’s going to kill your parents?”</p>
<p>“I <em>know</em> she is.” Alice sniffled. “My sister, too… She’s angry that they locked me away, she was so <em>close</em> to getting to me…”</p>
<p>Charlotte hesitated for a moment, then reached out and gently wiped the tears from Alice’s cheeks. If she felt the coldness of her hand, she was kind enough not to mention it. “Where do your parents live? I could go check on them for you, if you want…”</p>
<p>Alice shook her head. “We live in Biloxi… It’s too far for you to make it there on time, there’s no point.”</p>
<p>Charlotte nodded, biting her lip. “Alright, honey… Well… I just want you to know that I’ll be around at night, if you ever need me. This place can get pretty lonely after a while, if you want a friend to talk to…”</p>
<p>Alice smiled sadly. “Thank you, Charlotte…”</p>
<p>Suddenly, her dark eyes unfocused. She stared at a spot on the wall behind Charlotte’s left shoulder, her lips parted and her breath held tightly in her chest.</p>
<p>“<em>Alice</em>?” Charlotte asked, reaching out and placing a hand on one of her shoulders to stop her from falling over as she swayed on the spot. “Are you alright?”</p>
<p>Alice came out of her sudden trance, then looked at the door. “Someone’s coming- You need to go, now.”</p>
<p>“I’ll come back, I promise.” Charlotte told her, standing and backing quickly out of the room.</p>
<p>She closed the door behind her, and already she could hear footsteps coming down the stairs, and see the thin beam of a torch light shining on the floor. There was no way to re-lock the door, and she hoped that they would assume that someone had just forgotten to lock it. The last thing that Alice needed was to be blamed for her carelessness. She darted away into the shadows and out the back door into the graveyard just as the footsteps behind her reached the bottom of the stairs.</p>
<p>It was still dark out, the middle of the night. Charlotte glanced down at her watch; She only had about two more hours left in her shift… She might be able to leave early, since she had gotten so much done already. She knew that Alice had told her that there had been no point in it, but she didn’t know what Charlotte really was… Besides, she couldn’t help herself; She had to be sure if what Alice had told her was true.</p>
<p>If she were being truly honest with herself, if it hadn’t been for Alice’s sister, she wouldn’t have bothered. Charlotte would just as soon let her fellow immortal dispose of the heartless parents who had left their own child in a place like this- It would serve them right. If she’d been blessed with a child, <em>any</em> child, she would have never given it up, no matter what affliction it may have had. She and George had tried for many years before giving up. They had just decided on adopting a group of three siblings from the orphanage, but then he’d gone off to war and… <em>well</em>. No sense dwelling on that now.</p>
<p>Charlotte went back to the front of the building and through to the staff room, trying her best to feign feeling ill. Mildred was sitting at the small table by the dusty window, eating a bowl of lukewarm french onion soup and glancing up at the clock as her lunch hour ticked away. She looked up, letting her spoon clatter into the half-empty bowl and rolling her eyes as she saw Charlotte’s demeanor.</p>
<p>“Oh <em>no</em>, not <em>you</em> <em>too</em>!” She lamented, throwing her hands up in defeat.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Ms. Bates…” Charlotte said, trying to seem as sincere as she could manage. “It’s my stomach… I’m sure I’ll be fine by tomorrow, and most of my chores are finished already. If you need me to stay late tomorrow to make up for it, I-”</p>
<p>“Oh, <em>go on</em>, then.” She grumbled, picking her spoon back up with a knobby hand, sipping loudly at her soup and mumbling to herself under her breath, “Leave an old woman alone in this <em>dump</em>, why don’t you…”</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Charlotte pretended not to hear her, grabbed her things, and shambled feebly back out the door. She straightened up as soon as she was out of Mildred’s sight, quickening her pace as she left the building.</p>
<p>It was a long walk until she was far enough from Jackson to break into a full sprint. Biloxi was far away for a human, but it was a short journey for a vampire. She reached the edge of the coastal city in a little under an hour, and tracked Alice’s fading scent to a house near the beach. It was large and white, with a wraparound porch and a white picket fence. It was picturesque, and seemed innocent enough at first glance. All the lights were off, but it was still too early in the morning for anyone to be awake. Nothing to be suspicious of, yet.</p>
<p>Still, she inhaled the air around her, and stiffened when she recognized the scent of her own kind. Charlotte kept her guard up as she approached the front door. She reached out a hand to knock, but stopped when she saw that the door was tilted and hanging off of the one hinge that wasn’t already broken. It swung open with difficulty, and she stepped inside.</p>
<p>The house was still and silent. She could see just as well in the dark as she could in the daylight, and scanned the first floor carefully for signs of life. After coming up short, she continued up the winding staircase to the bedrooms. The first one she came across had to have been Alice’s; Her honeysuckle scent was <em>everywhere</em>. Curiously, Charlotte stepped inside, her muddy shoes sinking into the plush carpeting.</p>
<p>Alice’s room was cluttered, but larger than Charlotte’s whole apartment. Clothes- more clothes that she had ever seen one person own- were strewn around the room, slung over the side of the bedpost and the chair by the desk that was piled high with drawings. She moved over to them to get a closer look; They were fashion designs, and looked like they’d been done by Alice herself. They were… well, <em>strange</em>, to say the least. A woman wearing pants that came down no lower than her mid-thigh. Skirts shorter than Charlotte had ever seen, shirts with holes cut out in places, some held up by thin straps and still some without any sleeves at all. Dresses that were at least an appropriate length, but with large sections cut in the backs exposing a braless model’s entire back.</p>
<p>Charlotte admired Alice’s boldness; She was sure that her well-bred mother would have clutched tightly to her many pearl necklaces when she discovered these. Smiling- almost forgetting why she had come- she continued to flip through the papers. After another moment, her brow furrowed. Alice had drawn the same man multiple times… sometimes as a model, sometimes just a close-up of his face. She held one up and examined it closer. It was faded, probably one of the first she had drawn. He had deep-set eyes, a prominent brow, and a pointed jaw. His hair was light and curly, and hung down around his ears.</p>
<p>Charlotte folded the paper and tucked it neatly in her pocket. He must have been important to her, if she’d drawn him so often. Perhaps it would bring her some comfort. She left Alice’s room, moving to the one just across the hall with double doors that she assumed was the master suite.</p>
<p>The smell of the blood was overwhelming even before she opened the door. As it creaked open, she held her breath as tightly as she could. It was darker in the bedroom than in the hallway. The thick curtains on the far window had been drawn. The bed was empty, the linens scattered like the occupants had rushed out of bed. She opened the door further to look around, unwilling to take another step closer to the blood that was causing her throat to burn like acid had been poured down it.</p>
<p>As her eyes moved downward to the floor, two things happened at once; First, she saw the bodies of the man and woman she had seen dropping Alice at the asylum- staring blankly up at the ceiling as they lay on their fancy Persian rug that was now soaked in their blood. Next, there was a crash from downstairs, and the sound of several scuffling footsteps.</p>
<p>“<em>POLICE</em>!” A man called from the first floor.</p>
<p><em>Shit</em>. Charlotte darted out of the incriminating scene, down the hall and into the last bedroom. It was empty. Alice’s sister was nowhere to be found. She heard the footsteps coming toward her, and knew that she had no more time. She opened the window and climbed out, running silently along the roof to the back alley and leaping down.</p>
<p>She ran back to Jackson as fast as she could. As the sun began to rise, she stared to panic, pushing herself to run faster; If she were seen, they would <em>know</em>. They would come for her…</p>
<p>Charlotte leapt up into the back window of her apartment just as the sunlight began to crest the tops of the buildings. If she were still human, her heart would have been hammering in her chest. Even still, the relief she felt was so intense that she collapsed onto the bed, still wearing her now filthy uniform. She stayed there for a while, wondering how to give Alice the news that she had been right, and wondering what had become of the girl that she had been unable to find.</p>
<p>The day dragged on, and after a few hours, Charlotte finally got up. She took off her uniform and showered, simply to have something to do. She lathered the soap over her curves, and took time to turn the water as hot as it went, letting it run down her hair into her face. The warmth was soothing, and she turned it off immediately when it began to cool. When she stepped out, there was steam rising from her icy skin in waves.</p>
<p>She brushed through her wet hair and went back to her room. Glancing at the clock, she saw that she had only a few more hours until her shift. She’d spent most of the day staring at nothing, lost in thought about Alice and her mysterious immortal adversary. Her uniform was caked in dried mud, so she got to work on washing it, ringing it out and hanging it on the line by the window when it was once again a crisp white.</p>
<p>The sun was still high in the sky, but a cool breeze drifted in and rustled the thin curtains- a rarity in a place as humid as Jackson, Mississippi. Charlotte kept the window open while she went to the fridge, taking out the butter tub that was filled with blood from her last hunt. She opened it and poured it into a pot on the stove, heating it on low and scooping out the clots. When it was bubbling, she poured it into a glass and sat at the table, reading one of her novels and waiting for the sun to set.</p>
<p>As soon as she was finished, the alarm clock rang on the bedside table. She picked up a napkin and wiped the blood from the corners of her mouth, then shut it off. She had the dishes washed and her uniform back on in less than a minute. Checking her reflection before she left, she saw the bright gold color of her eyes. She grabbed her darkly shaded sunglasses from the table by the door; Another ‘<em>migraine</em>’ episode, to conceal the change. They’d be a little darker tomorrow, more human-looking.</p>
<p>When she arrived at work, she walked straight into the staff room, where Mildred and Dierdre were whispering at the small table over steaming cups of burnt coffee.</p>
<p>“-just last night, I just heard the news.” Mildred was saying. She took a loud sip of her coffee while Dierdre’s eyebrows furrowed with intense focus. Dabbing at the corners of her mouth with a napkin, Mildred continued, “<em>Mad</em>, that one- Gone completely around the bend. It wouldn’t surprise me if she <em>did</em> do it, somehow.”</p>
<p>“How would she have gotten <em>all the way</em> there and back without anyone seeing her?” Dierdre asked, her arms crossed. “It’s just not <em>possible</em>, Millie, I’m sorry… Maybe she was telling the truth, after all.”</p>
<p>“What happened?” Charlotte asked, trying to sound nonchalant as she put her things away.</p>
<p>“That Brandon girl, brought just last week,” Mildred told her, the fresh gossip giving her voice a youthful excitement that made Charlotte sick. “You remember she was screaming about someone killing her parents?”</p>
<p>Charlotte nodded.</p>
<p>“<em>Well</em>,” Mildred raised her eyebrows and hissed, “They were found dead in Biloxi this morning.”</p>
<p>“That’s <em>terrible</em>.” Charlotte tried to sound as if this were news to her. “So, she was <em>right</em>, then?”</p>
<p>“<em>That’s the thing</em>.” Mildred said, tapping her long nose with a bright red nail. “The police think that <em>she knows who did it</em>- or that she put somebody up to it. They were questioning her all afternoon.”</p>
<p>“Why?” Charlotte asked, barely concealing her agitation. “She <em>can’t</em> have done it, it’s like Dierdre said! There’s just no way she could have gotten all the way to Biloxi and back by morning.”</p>
<p>“Yes, yes, but she <em>knew</em>, somehow…” Mildred shrugged and stirred her coffee noisily with her spoon. “The police have to do their jobs- If she <em>was</em> involved somehow, they’ll find out.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think that’s right…” Another maid, Sarah, chimed in, pouring herself a cup of coffee and sitting between Mildred and Dierdre at the table. “Poor girl’s been through enough, already… She loses her whole family, and then they go down there and act like it’s <em>her</em> fault?”</p>
<p>“Oh, no, not the <em>whole</em> family- didn’t I tell you?” Mildred said. “The sister was at a friend’s house for the night. She didn’t witness anything, thank God, but still… poor girl. Can’t <em>imagine</em> how she must be feeling right now.”</p>
<p>Charlotte sighed in relief; She had been fearing that the vampire had killed the child, or taken her as a snack for later. “Where will she go now? Does she have other family?”</p>
<p>“She has an aunt and uncle in Jersey, I overheard one of the police telling the doctors.” Mildred shrugged. “She should be fine.”</p>
<p>For the rest of the night, Charlotte busied herself with the cleaning until she was able to slip away downstairs. She had promised Alice that she’d be back, and she wanted to make sure that she was alright after her unfair interrogation. Before heading to her room, Charlotte stopped by the front office. Thankfully, it was empty. She found the ring of keys and darted down the hall. She didn’t know how much time she would have before security realized they were missing; Bob and Frank were usually piss drunk by this hour, but she knew they’d been reprimanded for it recently.</p>
<p>She reached Alice’s door and sifted through the keys, trying them one by one in the lock. When she had found the right one, she removed it from the ring and hurried up to the office to put the rest back on the desk where she’d gotten them. Satisfied, she checked to make sure the hall was empty before darting back downstairs with the single stolen key; It would take <em>much</em> longer to notice one missing key that it would a whole ring of them. She would put it back when she was finished. It was much safer than picking the lock again.</p>
<p>The door opened easily, and she slid inside just as a security guard came around the corner. It was Frank, judging by the heaviness of his uneven footfalls. He was mumbling to himself and by the sound of it, leaning against the wall for support as he walked. Charlotte rolled her eyes; As she’d expected. If he kept up like this, he’d be fired for sure. Charlotte didn’t much like prohibition either, but there was a time and a place to make a schmuck out of yourself.</p>
<p>Alice was asleep, but that wasn’t what made Charlotte hesitate when she turned to look at her; Her hair had been cut. Not shaved, but trimmed to nearly her scalp. There were fresh marks on her temples where the paddles had been placed, and white-hot rage flared inside her chest. She kept it held back as she knelt beside her.</p>
<p>“Alice?” She whispered, reaching out and shaking her shoulder gently. “It’s Charlotte.”</p>
<p>Alice sniffled and rubbed her eyes. Charlotte was relieved to see that she hadn’t been as restrained tonight. She no longer wore the straight-jacket, only a thin white gown that went as far as her knees. Alice’s dark eyes were unfocused, her pupils heavily dilated- but still, she smiled when she saw Charlotte. “Hi… You came back.”</p>
<p>“I promised, didn’t I?” She smiled back, then bit her lip. “I heard about your parents… I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”</p>
<p>Alice sat up and fixed Charlotte with a stare that made her feel as though she was looking <em>through</em> her, like she was made of glass. “I saw you go to my house… I know you saw them.”</p>
<p>Charlotte swallowed. She waited, still as a statue for Alice to scream, to call for help. In her head, she planned out where she would run to next- but before she could get farther than wondering if she could get out of here without raising an alarm, Alice spoke again.</p>
<p>“I’m not mad…” She said softly, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she spoke. “It was kind of you, to try to save them…”</p>
<p>Charlotte stared; It had not been the reaction she had been expecting. She swallowed, ignoring the burn in her throat when she caught a whiff of Alice’s honeysuckle scent, and asked, “Exactly… how <em>much</em> did you see?”</p>
<p>Alice’s face was unreadable. She was staring at a spot on the cuff of Charlotte’s shirt, swaying lightly from side to side. “I know what you <em>are</em>, if that’s what you’re asking.”</p>
<p><em>Shit</em>. Charlotte’s mind filled suddenly with images of cloaked, crimson-eyed figures- descending on the asylum, massacring every human who had so much as <em>spoken</em> to her.</p>
<p>“I won’t tell anyone…” Alice told her. “I don’t <em>care</em> what you are, really… You’re the only one here who treats me like I’m still a person.”</p>
<p>Charlotte was seized with a desire to reach out and hug her, to pull her into her arms and tell her that everything would be alright- but she resisted. Besides, she would probably be lying.</p>
<p>“And… You’re not afraid of me?” Charlotte asked her. “The woman that’s after you is… like me, as well. I assume you already know <em>that</em>, too.”</p>
<p>Alice nodded, but looked back up into Charlotte’s face. She narrowed her dark eyes at the large sunglasses obscuring most of her face. “That depends… Take those off for a moment, if you don’t mind.”</p>
<p>Charlotte hesitated, but did as she said. She looked back into Alice’s deep brown eyes with her newly golden ones.</p>
<p>“<em>Good</em>.” Alice sighed and smiled dreamily, leaning back against the wall with a thud. “Not red… No, I’m not afraid of you.”</p>
<p>Charlotte was relieved, but looked at Alice quizzically. “But… how do you know what my eye color means?”</p>
<p>“I <em>don’t</em>, really.” Alice shrugged. “It just proves that you’re different than she is. That’s good enough… You <em>promise</em> you won’t eat me?”</p>
<p>Charlotte chuckled. “I promise.”</p>
<p>There was a moment of silence before Alice spoke again, her eyes sparkling with sudden elation.</p>
<p>“My sister survived.” She said knowingly, smiling wide and exposing a small gap in her two front teeth. “I hadn’t seen that- Father must have decided last minute to send her to a friend’s house for the night.”</p>
<p>“I heard that they’re taking her to your aunt and uncle.” Charlotte told her, remembering what Mildred had said. “Do you think she’ll be alright with them?”</p>
<p>Alice didn’t answer. Instead, she closed her eyes, tilting her head back and breathing deeply. She was silent for several moments. When she opened her eyes again, they were staring at something far, far away. “Yes… They’ll take good care of her. We have a cousin around my age. He’s already decided to watch over her when she enrolls at his school…”</p>
<p>Her voice trailed off, and she came back to herself, staring sadly at the stone floor. Charlotte never had any siblings herself, but still, the despair on Alice’s face was all too familiar to her; She’d looked like that after she’d lost George.</p>
<p>Hoping to cheer her up, she pulled out the drawing of the young man she had taken from Alice’s room, and passed it to her.</p>
<p>“I grabbed this for you…” She said. “I noticed that you drew him quite a lot, I thought that he might be important to you.”</p>
<p>Alice brightened suddenly, reaching out and taking the drawing from her. She held it to her chest and closed her eyes, sighing deeply. “<em>Thank you</em>…”</p>
<p>“Who is he?” Charlotte asked, grinning and winking conspiratorially. “A handsome young man like that can’t be just a <em>friend</em>, can he?”</p>
<p>A blush spread on Alice’s pale cheeks as she looked back up at Charlotte through her lashes. “If I tell you, you’ll think I’m being silly…”</p>
<p>“I promise, I won’t.” She smiled, crossing her heart with one finger.</p>
<p>Alice looked back down at the drawing, a wistful expression on her face. “I don’t know who he is, not <em>really</em>… I’ve never met him before.”</p>
<p>Charlotte found this strange- but then again, nothing could be considered strange when it came to Alice. She didn’t interrupt, and listened as Alice explained.</p>
<p>“I’ve been seeing him for <em>months</em> now… He only ever says my name. I don’t know who he <em>is</em>, or what he <em>wants</em>, or <em>why</em> I keep seeing him, but… When he says my name, I get this <em>feeling</em>- I don’t know, like I’m <em>home</em>… Like he’s <em>meant</em> for me, somehow…” She stopped, looking sheepishly back up at her. “I know it sounds ridiculous.”</p>
<p>“No, I think it’s sweet.” Charlotte assured her. “What’s his name?”</p>
<p>Alice shook her head. “I don’t know that either… I only ever see him for a few seconds, and he just says <em>my</em> name. Nothing else.”</p>
<p>“Well, I’m sure he’ll be lovely when you <em>do</em> get to meet him.” Charlotte said, smiling gently.</p>
<p>Alice smiled, and stared at the drawing quietly for a few minutes until she spoke again. “Your ring- Are you married?”</p>
<p>Charlotte looked down at her wedding band, twisting it on her finger as the hole in her heart throbbed. “I <em>was</em>…”</p>
<p>“Oh…” Alice frowned. “I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“Don’t be.” Charlotte shrugged, smiling sadly down at the ring. “He was a wonderful man… My best friend.”</p>
<p>“What was his name?”</p>
<p>“George.” Charlotte told her.</p>
<p>“What was he like?” Alice asked, leaning forward and resting her chin in her hands.</p>
<p>“He was…” Charlotte hesitated, still staring at the ring. She hadn’t spoken about George since he died… She wasn’t sure if she could. “The love of my life… I miss him very much.”</p>
<p>“How did you meet?” Alice asked.</p>
<p>Before she could stop herself, Charlotte was talking more than she had in months. She told Alice how she and George had been <em>inseparable</em> as children. How he’d chased her all over the playground, trying to kiss her- how he blushed and chickened out when she finally let him catch up to her. She told Alice about how, when her father had died when she was thirteen, George had gone with her to the funeral. He’d stood right beside her, his arm around her shoulders while she cried. Charlotte told her how he’d come to her house <em>every</em> weekend after, to help her and her mother with the things that needed fixing. She told her of how none of the boys at school even <em>attempted</em> to court her, as she’d had eyes for no one but him.</p>
<p>Charlotte told her how George had stood by her through her illness, and hadn’t batted an eye when they were told that she would never bear a child because of it. He’d brought her flowers every Sunday on his way home, showered her with affection whenever he entered a room, and told her every day how lucky he was that she was his. She told Alice of the way his blue eyes had twinkled whenever he said her name… the way his dimples would always appear when he smiled, the left corner slightly higher than the right.</p>
<p>Her voice grew thick when she told her of how she’d lost him the first time… Missing in action. As good as dead. She recalled the empty, lonely months before his miraculous return, and told Alice how she and George had spent their immortal days roaming the country, seeing everything there was to see… until the Volturi caught up to them.</p>
<p>“A vampire government?” Alice asked, interrupting for the first time.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Charlotte said, her teeth clenched. “Although they <em>prefer</em> to be considered royalty. George broke one of their laws… and their Princess killed him for it.”</p>
<p>Alice bit her lip. “I’m so sorry…”</p>
<p>“It’s alright.” She took a deep breath, ignoring the burn in her throat as she did so. “It felt… good. To talk about him again.”</p>
<p>Charlotte looked down to check her pocket watch; Fifteen minutes until the end of her shift. Mildred would be on the warpath searching for her by now. She would have to come up with a very good excuse for shirking her duties, and quickly.</p>
<p>“I have to go…” She said regretfully, looking back at Alice. “I’m not working tomorrow, but I promise I’ll be back again.”</p>
<p>Alice’s eyebrows narrowed in concern. “Keep your eye out on your way home… I’ve been trying to watch her decisions, and I saw her catch your scent at my house when she went back to watch to cops clean up her mess… She might be tailing you.”</p>
<p>Charlotte thought about how sadistic it was to watch the aftermath of your feedings; To kill someone’s family simply because they evaded you was bad enough, but to stick around and watch the agony you caused? What did she have to gain from that? Charlotte nodded and said, “I will. I’ll see soon, alright?”</p>
<p>“Charlotte?” Alice asked as she walked to the door.</p>
<p>She turned back to look at her. “Yes?”</p>
<p>“Thank you… for my drawing.” Alice half-smiled up at her. “And… everything else, too.”</p>
<p>Charlotte smiled back. “You’re welcome, sweetheart.”</p>
<p>After closing the door behind her and locking it again with the stolen key, she made her way back to the main office. Bob was snoring in the chair behind the desk, and Frank was laying on the beat-up couch with his arm covering his eyes, his mouth slack. Both of their large bellies were rising and falling evenly, deep in their drunken sleep. They didn’t notice her as she slipped Alice’s key back on the ring.</p>
<p>Mildred was huffing about the foyer when Charlotte came up the stairs, and she turned on her heel and marched over with her hands on her bony hips.</p>
<p>“And just <em>where</em> have you been?!” She demanded, glaring down at her with her hawk-like eyes. “Dierdre and I have been looking everywhere!”</p>
<p>“I was cleaning up after our <em>esteemed</em> security.” Charlotte told her, rolling her eyes for added effect. It wasn’t a complete lie; She <em>had</em> straightened up the office a smidge before she’d left Bob and Frank to their slumber.</p>
<p>Mildred put the tips of her fingers to her temples and mumbled, “Useless sacks of- Fine, <em>fine</em>! As long as you were cleaning <em>something</em>!”</p>
<p>Charlotte nodded, holding back the retort she was bursting to throw at her. “Well, I’ll be going now. Goodnight.”</p>
<p>She could hear Mildred mumbling about incompetence as she stomped down the stairs behind her, but Charlotte ignored her and left out the wide front doors. It was a little humid outside, but not as bad as usual, and the moon was mostly hidden by thick clouds. Charlotte let her hair out of its bun and shook it out behind her as she walked. The streets were empty, and her shoes clacked on the sidewalk and echoed off the walls of the houses where families were still sleeping soundly in their beds.</p>
<p>Remembering Alice’s warning, she kept her guard up- Inhaling the night air, trying to catch a scent of the other vampire, keeping her head on a swivel and listening for any sudden footsteps behind her. She made it all the way home without incident, however, and unlocked the door to go inside.</p>
<p>She froze; The smell was overpowering. Either she had just left, or-</p>
<p>“Hello, there.” A woman’s voice chimed, and the lamp by Charlotte’s kitchen table clicked on. She was sitting there, her legs crossed, and her hands placed patiently in her lap. “My name is Victoria. I was wondering if I might have a word with you.”</p>
<p>Charlotte blinked. She didn’t know what was stronger at the moment, her sense of self-preservation, or her annoyance. She narrowed her eyes at the unwelcome visitor. “So you break into my home? I would have preferred a telegram if you had a question for me.”</p>
<p>Victoria giggled; The sound of it was unnerving. It was high-pitched and childlike, but there was a sharp edge to it that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. “Well, you’ve got <em>moxie</em>, don’t you? Yes, I suppose I <em>did</em> break in. In my defense, the window <em>was</em> unlocked. Besides, you could have missed a telegram. I don’t like being ignored- This way is much more efficient.”</p>
<p>Charlotte closed the door behind her and tossed her keys down on the table, sitting down in one of the dining chairs across from Victoria. She refused to be intimidated, and made her voice sound as firm as she could. “Alright, then. What do you want?”</p>
<p>Victoria winked. “Well now, let’s not <em>rush</em>… What’s your name, stranger?”</p>
<p>“Charlotte.” She said blankly. “What do you want, Victoria?”</p>
<p>“Well that should be fairly obvious, don’t you think?” Victoria grinned wickedly, twirling a strand of her wild red hair between her fingers.</p>
<p>“Alice.” Charlotte said. “Yes, I gathered that. I was just being polite.”</p>
<p>“Sweet of you.” Victoria chimed, leaning her elbows on the table and placing her chin on top of her linked hands.</p>
<p>“What do you want with her?” Charlotte asked, resisting the urge to lean away. “There are others you can feed on, surely. Why <em>this</em> girl, specifically?”</p>
<p>Victoria tilted her head to the side, her ginger curls swaying as she did so. “For <em>fun</em>, of course- For the thrill of the hunt. She was so entertaining to watch, so difficult to get close to. Over the centuries it gets so <em>boring</em>, picking off the first traveler you come across. Especially when I’m <em>much</em> more adept at tracking than your average immortal. It challenges my skills, strengthens my powers when my prey is more difficult to catch- I <em>love</em> a challenge, and Miss Mary Alice Brandon was <em>very</em> well protected… Then of course there’s that <em>marvelous</em> little ability of hers- I’m sure you’ve noticed.”</p>
<p>Charlotte nodded, trying to keep the horror she felt off of her face. “She is very powerful, yes… So, do you intend to feed on her, or change her?”</p>
<p>“I’m not quite sure yet.” Victoria shrugged. “On the one hand, she smells <em>delicious</em>- On the other, that ability could be <em>very</em> useful to me once she’s one of us… I think it’ll depend on how thirsty I am once I finally get to her.”</p>
<p>“And what about the Volturi?” Charlotte asked, raising an eyebrow. “Aren’t you concerned they’ll kill you for causing so much chaos for one girl?”</p>
<p>To her surprise, Victoria laughed. “The <em>Volturi</em>?! Oh, come now, Charlotte, the Volturi haven’t been a real threat in <em>decades</em>- Not since the Queen has been keeping the King under lock and key.”</p>
<p>Charlotte growled, glowering at her across the table. “Tell that to my husband.”</p>
<p>“Ah…” Victoria’s smile faded, and for a moment she looked a little startled- but she quickly recovered. “Well, I’m sorry for your loss.”</p>
<p>“I appreciate that.” Charlotte said. She had every desire to get this maniacal woman out of her home as soon as possible. “So, is that it, then? You’ve come here to ask me to stand aside as you murder a helpless teenage girl? Forgive me if I don’t oblige you, Victoria.”</p>
<p>Victoria hissed through her teeth, then pressed her lips together. “You see… I am a little bit of a- let’s say perfectionist. None of my prey has ever, <em>ever</em> escaped me, and that is not about to change now. I didn’t come here to ask for your permission. This is a <em>warning</em>, nothing more… If you get in my way, I <em>will</em> destroy you.”</p>
<p>Charlotte snarled angrily, rising to her feet. Victoria did the same, and the two women stared each other down, crimson eyes into gold.</p>
<p>“You say you like a challenge?” Charlotte asked her. “Then I’ll give you one- You’re <em>not</em> touching that poor girl, not after everything you’ve put her through already. If you try to get to her, it will be the last thing you ever do. I swear it.”</p>
<p>Victoria’s reaction was unexpected; Her hostility seemed to vanish completely. She stepped back, smiling and tapping her chin with one finger. “You know… That could <em>actually</em> be quite fun. None of my prey has ever had a guard dog before… Alright then, Lottie, it’s a date.”</p>
<p>She held out her hand, and Charlotte took it.</p>
<p>“May the best woman win.” Charlotte said, glaring at her and releasing her hand as quickly as she could. It wasn’t easy; Victoria’s grip was so firm that it had formed small cracks in her skin. “Oh, and if you <em>ever</em> call me Lottie again, I’ll cut your hand off at the wrist.”</p>
<p>“Now, now,” Victoria said, waggling a finger playfully as she stepped on the table to climb out the back window. The sunlight glinted off her exposed skin as she knelt on the windowsill, and she took a moment to admire the lights dancing across her arms. She looked back at Charlotte with a wicked grin on her face, and winked. “Save that for later, darling. I’ll see you tonight.”</p>
<p>She disappeared, landing lightly on her feet in the alleyway. Charlotte darted over to close it, and saw the bright flash of Victoria’s red hair disappear into the small scattering of trees at the edge of town. Once she was alone again, she began pacing the room while her mind raced.</p>
<p>What the <em>hell</em> was she doing? She barely knew this girl, and now she was going to fight a centuries old vampire- who was likely to be much more skilled at fighting than she was- just to prolong her stay in that hellhole. Was it kinder to let Victoria kill her? No, it wasn’t; Not when Victoria was so sadistic. She would make sure that Alice suffered, for no other reason than her own amusement. She had to be stopped, but how? She remembered how useless she’d been when George had been killed, and swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. Even if she was terrified, she couldn’t let this woman hurt Alice. She’d done nothing wrong, and she was a child for heaven’s sake.</p>
<p>As she tried to come up with some sort of strategy, she remembered what Victoria had said; ‘<em>See you tonight</em>.’ Her dead heart dropped to her stomach. She didn’t work tonight. If Victoria decided to break into the asylum and she wasn’t there, Alice would be a sitting duck. If she came in to work on her day off, Miserable Mildred would be suspicious for sure.</p>
<p>Charlotte quickly changed into her hunting outfit, checking her reflection to make sure every inch of skin was covered. Leaving out the back window like Victoria had done seemed safest, so Charlotte climbed onto the table and leapt down into the alley. A small flutter of panic rose in her chest as she ran full out towards the trees, and she prayed that none of her neighbors were looking out their windows. Once she was in the safety of the shade, she took the long way around the town to the back of the asylum, where the edge of the trees met the farthest plots in the graveyard. She stayed in the shadows, pacing as close as she dared around the edges of the grounds.</p>
<p>It wasn’t until nightfall that something finally happened. Charlotte was free to move closer to the asylum now that it was dark, and she had just made her third perimeter scan when she smelled her; Victoria was on the East side of the building.</p>
<p>She darted over to where the scent was coming from, her bare feet crushing the pebbles beneath them as she ran. Victoria was by one of the doors, flirting with a security guard. The poor sap was eating it up, flexing his nonexistent muscles as she giggled animatedly. Charlotte hesitated for a second in the shadows before she stepped out.</p>
<p>“<em>There</em> you are!” She called, attempting to sound happy about Victoria’s presence. They both turned to look at her; The guard in confusion, Victoria in shock. “I’ve been looking <em>everywhere</em>!”</p>
<p>“You know her?” The guard asked. He was young, barely over eighteen. There were freckles and pimples dotting his face, and his uniform was a size too big.</p>
<p>“Yes, this is my cousin.” Charlotte said, glaring daggers at Victoria behind her fake smile. “She must have gotten a little <em>lost</em>, that’s all.”</p>
<p>“Oh…” The guard blinked, looking between the two women. “Well… I can’t let you in this way, like I was saying. You’ll have to-“</p>
<p>His words were cut short. Victoria had reached out and snapped his neck like a twig before Charlotte could do anything to stop her. She resisted crying out, staring down at the crumpled body of the boy in front of them.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” Victoria said, grinning wickedly. “But I <em>despise</em> small-talk.”</p>
<p>Charlotte snarled. “You didn’t have to do that!”</p>
<p>“Oh, I <em>know</em>.” Victoria shrugged, twirling her red hair in her fingers. “But I <em>wanted</em> to… Does that upset you?”</p>
<p>She knew that Victoria was baiting her. Still, the urge to lunge for her throat and tear it out with her teeth was almost too strong to ignore. She snarled with her fangs bared and said, “Obviously.”</p>
<p>“Well…” Victoria held her arms wide, like she was waiting for Charlotte to run into them in an embrace rather than an attack. “What are you going to <em>do</em> about it?”</p>
<p>Charlotte hissed. “You first- I’m not stupid.”</p>
<p>Victoria chuckled, letting her arms fall back to her side. “<em>No</em>, you’re not.”</p>
<p>Then she lunged. Charlotte dodged her attack, but just barely. The cuff of her left sleeve ripped where Victoria had grabbed it. The two of them sparred across the graveyard, Charlotte trying to push her farther back into the trees, farther from Alice. Victoria was, as expected, very skilled. Charlotte’s every blow missed her by a hair, and she only attacked when she grew bored of evading her.</p>
<p>They could have gone on like that all night- neither of them would ever tire- but Victoria seemed to be getting impatient. She sighed when Charlotte made a grab for her neck, and countered by grabbing her wrist and flinging her across the clearing into the base of a tree. It snapped with a crack like thunder, falling with a thud in the dirt behind Charlotte as she stood up. She was now covered in mud, and her dark hair was tangled and falling loose from its bun. Her hat had been lost somewhere between the graveyard and the small clearing they were standing in now.</p>
<p>“Have you ever fought <em>anyone</em>?” Victoria asked, rolling her red eyes.</p>
<p>Charlotte didn’t answer.</p>
<p>Victoria’s eyes narrowed, and suddenly she was standing right in front of her. She stood on her toes and sniffed.</p>
<p>Charlotte hissed and pushed her away. “What the hell are you doing?”</p>
<p>Victoria stood back, looking Charlotte up and down. “How old are you?”</p>
<p>“Thirty-seven.” Charlotte told her. “What does <em>that</em> matter?”</p>
<p>Victoria shook her head. “That’s not what I meant- When were you made immortal?”</p>
<p>“Nearly two years ago.”</p>
<p>“Well <em>that</em> explains it.” Victoria sighed and sat down on a large root sticking out from the ground, crossing her knees like it was the most elegant throne. “You’re barely a threat- Barely past your newborn phase. No <em>wonder</em> you’re no fun to fight.”</p>
<p>Charlotte scoffed. “Well, I’m sorry, but <em>I’m</em> not the one who picked this fight- If you would just leave Alice alone, you could go have some ‘<em>fun</em>’ with someone else.”</p>
<p>Victoria smiled. “I <em>told</em> you, Charlotte, I’m a perfectionist- I can’t stop once I’ve started.”</p>
<p>“Sure, you can.” Charlotte rolled her eyes. “You just don’t <em>want</em> to.”</p>
<p>“No, I don’t.” Victoria bit her lip, then bounced to her feet again. Charlotte readied for the attack, but none came. She looked down at Charlotte’s legs and made a face. “First of all, your stance is <em>terrible</em>- Widen it.”</p>
<p>“… <em>Okay</em>?” Charlotte widened her stance, raising one eyebrow.</p>
<p>“Put one leg back for balance.” Victoria instructed.</p>
<p>“Why are you telling me this?” Charlotte asked, rising from her stance and lowering her arms.</p>
<p>Victoria smiled. “If I’m not going to leave, <em>you</em> need to learn how to fight better. Don’t worry- if you suck at it, I won’t make you suffer long. Now- <em>Stance</em>. Show me.”</p>
<p>Victoria trained Charlotte all through the night, teaching her how to block, how to anticipate your adversary’s movements. She had just thrown Charlotte across the clearing for the fifth time, when the sky began to lighten.</p>
<p>“It will be sunrise soon.” Charlotte said, reattaching her arm that had just been ripped off. “You should get back to wherever it is your coven is hiding.”</p>
<p>Victoria shrugged. “I have no coven. I never really felt the need for one.”</p>
<p>“How fortunate for you.” Charlotte said, rolling her shoulder as the ligaments fused.</p>
<p>“<em>You</em> have no coven either.” Victoria pointed out.</p>
<p>Charlotte sighed. “No, I don’t.”</p>
<p>There was silence for a moment as the sun rose higher in the sky.</p>
<p>“You should get going now.” Charlotte said again, shifting anxiously from foot to foot. She had to get back home, quickly. Already the light around them was warming from blue to gold.</p>
<p>Victoria smiled. “No, I don’t think I will… I’m not <em>particularly</em> afraid of exposure. I could simply kill whoever is unfortunate enough to see me. <em>You</em>, on the other hand…”</p>
<p>Charlotte’s stomach sank as Victoria sat on the low root again, leaning back against the tree it sprouted from.</p>
<p>“So, what happened to your sire?” Victoria asked suddenly, as casually as if she were asking about the weather.</p>
<p>Charlotte growled. “That’s none of your business.”</p>
<p>“<em>Ooo</em>, touchy subject, is it?” She grinned.</p>
<p>Charlotte ignored her, and started walking away from her, back towards the asylum.</p>
<p>“Oh, <em>come</em> <em>on</em>!” Victoria jumped in front of her, blocking her from leaving. “I just want to learn a little about you, that’s all- Just because I want no coven doesn’t mean I don’t like to <em>chat</em> from time to time. Was your sire an animal-drinker, too?”</p>
<p>Charlotte sighed “No… That was <em>my</em> choice… After he died.”</p>
<p>“I see…” Victoria nodded. “And, who was he?”</p>
<p>She glared down at her; What right did she have to be so nosy? Why did she even care?</p>
<p>Victoria rolled her eyes and sighed. “Fine- I’ll tell you anything you want to know about me, if you tell me anything I want to know about you.”</p>
<p>“<em>Why</em>?” Charlotte asked, one eyebrow raised. “One of us is going to kill the other eventually anyway, why get to know each other? What’s the point?”</p>
<p>Victoria grinned up at her. “<em>Know thine enemy</em>. Physical fighting is only half the battle, Lottie- Remember that if you somehow manage to beat me.”</p>
<p>Charlotte grinned, then reached out and snapped Victoria’s hand clean off with one swift motion. Victoria cursed, and Charlotte stepped back, dangling the dismembered hand over their heads by the pinky. “Sorry, <em>Vicky</em>. I told you what would happen if you called me that again.”</p>
<p>Victoria sneered. “<em>Fine</em>! Give me my hand back.”</p>
<p>Charlotte tossed it back to her, and she twisted it on the stump of her arm until it began to fuse back on. “So, how old are <em>you</em>?”</p>
<p>Victoria smiled. “Twenty-nine. But I’ve lived for a little over five hundred years. Who turned you?”</p>
<p>“My husband…” Charlotte said. “After he returned from the war. Why are you not afraid of the Volturi?”</p>
<p>Victoria laughed. “They’ve tried to kill me before. They’ve long since given up. They sent their own tracker after me, but my abilities were superior. I would have killed him, if it weren’t for that evil little <em>witch</em> they call a Princess.”</p>
<p>Charlotte scoffed. “Yes, I’ve met her- Truly an <em>awful</em> child.”</p>
<p>“Agreed.” Victoria smiled, then asked, “Your husband… He turned you on purpose?”</p>
<p>“Not exactly…” Charlotte sighed, and told her of how he’d been turned by a mysterious vampire in the heat of battle, and how he had made it home to her. When she told her of how he’d been unable to control his thirst when she’d been so close, Victoria nodded knowingly.</p>
<p>“Yes, self-control is nearly impossible in your first year- as you know.” She said, then she locked eyes with her, her expression incredulous. “Why do you only feed on animals, Charlotte? Why weaken yourself if it’s not necessary?”</p>
<p>Charlotte looked away, pretending to be checking the area for potential witnesses to their indiscretion. She could still see the graveyard through the trees. One of the diggers was already at work, schlepping a heavy wheelbarrow over the dirt with a shovel over his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Did you eat meat in your human life?” Victoria asked, the corner of her mouth twitching in a smirk.</p>
<p>“Yes, I did.” Charlotte said, rolling her eyes. “I know where you’re going with that, and this is different.”</p>
<p>“How so?”</p>
<p>“When a wolf hunts, it doesn't know what it feels like to <em>be</em> the hunted.” Charlotte explained. “<em>That’s</em> how so. Besides, I… don’t want to be a murderer. I don’t have any right to take another person’s life, even if it <em>is</em> for my survival. Especially when there are alternatives.”</p>
<p>“If you say so.” Victoria shuddered and wrinkled her nose. “It sounds disgusting.”</p>
<p>“You get used to it after a while.”</p>
<p>“I certainly will <em>not</em>.”</p>
<p>Charlotte chuckled. The conversation died as they stared at each other across the clearing. A warm breeze rustled the leaves, and some of the orange ones fell to the ground. After a few minutes, Victoria sighed and got to her feet.</p>
<p>“Okay, how about this- I want to go back to the house I’m staying at and take a shower.” She said, looking down at her now filthy dress. “I’m going to be coming up with plenty of fun schemes to get to little miss Mary Alice- It could take me a day, maybe two… You should keep your guard up.”</p>
<p>Charlotte raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. “You <em>honestly</em> expect me to fall for that?”</p>
<p>“I’m not lying.” Victoria glared, offended. “I may be a sadistic bitch, but I’m a woman of my word- I will not attack you, or attempt to reach Miss Brandon for the next twenty-four hours. You will have that long to prepare- and please, <em>try</em> to remember what you learned tonight, will you? If you keep being boring I’m going to make you watch as I drink the girl before I kill you.”</p>
<p>Charlotte swallowed. Victoria smiled, turned gracefully, and darted away. Charlotte waited for a second, glancing between the asylum- bathed in sunlight and impossible to reach- and the trees where Victoria had disappeared. She ran after her, tracking her carefully to be sure that she had not doubled back. Once she was satisfied, she ran as fast as she could back to her apartment, narrowly avoiding being spotted leaping into her window by her downstairs neighbor, who was reading that morning’s paper with his window open.</p>
<p>She spent the day washing the mud and grass stains from her clothes, but she doubted that she could salvage them completely. She set them out to dry on the balcony, and impatiently waited for the sun to set so that she could return to the asylum. She had to let Alice know what was going on, if she hadn’t already seen it for herself.</p>
<p>Finally, it was dark enough for her to leave. When she arrived, Mildred was in a fury. She was pacing up and down the staff room, muttering to herself and wringing her hands together. When Charlotte entered, Mildred walked briskly over to her at once.</p>
<p>“<em>Did you hear about it yet</em>?” She hissed, the excitement of fresh gossip in her hawk-like eyes.</p>
<p>“Hear what?” Charlotte asked, trying not to sound horrified or guilty; Had she been seen sparing with Victoria? What had they assumed?</p>
<p>“One of our guards was <em>murdered</em> last night.” Mildred told her, looking back at another maid; She was in one of the shabby armchairs, holding a hot cup of coffee and staring at the wall. Her eyes were bloodshot and unfocused. “Poor Molly found him this afternoon… That young boy, the one Bob hired just after you got here- Kent, I think his name was, William Kent. Neck snapped, twisted all the way around.”</p>
<p>Charlotte’s heart sank; She had forgotten about the guard. With the confusion of her altercation and training session with Victoria, he had slipped from her mind. “Does his family know?”</p>
<p>Mildred nodded. “They’re in the security office now, talking to Frank- not that he’ll be much help- Oh, and the cops questioned the Brandon girl about it.”</p>
<p>“What- <em>why</em>?” Charlotte asked, perhaps a little too quickly. Mildred had raised an eyebrow at her, and she had to scramble for a recovery. “I mean, what does <em>she</em> have to do with anything? She was in her room, wasn’t she?”</p>
<p>“Yes, she was…” Mildred said, still eyeing Charlotte suspiciously. “But she talked to Will, just before he died… Told him he shouldn’t go to his post- that he was in danger. He told Bob but he told him not to worry about it… Well, he turned up dead, didn’t he? Obviously, she knew <em>something</em>.”</p>
<p>Charlotte tried to act as if this news did not enrage her. She nodded solemnly and looked over Mildred’s shoulder at Molly, and changed the subject. “Did she see anything else? Anything that might lead to his killer?”</p>
<p>“No, I don’t think so. She told the police she found him when she went to meet him for lunch. She didn’t see anyone around.” Mildred said, then she looked over at the clock on the wall. “Well, there are dishes in the mess hall waiting for you- Hop to it, then. Dierdre’s already down there mopping the floors.”</p>
<p>Charlotte put her things away and got to work- Not with cleaning, but fortifying the building against Victoria. She had worked here long enough by now to have cleaned every inch of the place, and she knew it like the back of her hand. She felt a bit guilty about leaving Dierdre to clean the mess hall alone, but she didn’t have much of a choice; She knew that Victoria was going to take advantage of any weakness in her defenses.</p>
<p>As much as she didn’t like it, Mildred had been right about one thing; Frank was <em>useless</em>. She couldn’t count on anyone in the security office to actually do their jobs, even though one of their own had just been killed. She checked the office to see if she could steal Alice’s key, but she was forced to keep walking when she saw that the Kent’s were still speaking to a Frank that was struggling to keep both eyes open at the same time.</p>
<p>Twice, she’d had to avoid Mildred in the halls while she checked that every public room was secure. All the windows had bars, but she knew that it wouldn’t keep a vampire out. Still, it was a large building, and she couldn’t be everywhere at once, immortal speed be damned. Then there was the basement; Long winding tunnels that ran beneath the whole asylum, and on the far west side, a cellar door leading off the West side of the building. It was never used- at least, it hadn’t been as long as she’d been here. She moved several heavy shelves and pieces of broken furniture in front of it. It wouldn’t keep her out, but it would slow her down.</p>
<p>When she could think of nothing else she could do, she went back down to the security office. The Kent’s were gone, as were Frank and Bob. The keys, thankfully, were laying forgotten in the first drawer she opened. She removed Alice’s key again and went down to her room, careful to avoid Mildred, who was now actively searching for her, muttering angrily about laziness. With all the preparations for Victoria’s assault, Charlotte had neglected actually doing her job. She would have to make up another excuse later.</p>
<p>“Alice?” Charlotte whispered as soon as she’d closed the door behind her. “Are you awake?”</p>
<p>Alice didn’t answer her. She was sitting on her cot, facing the wall, her knees held tightly to her chest. Charlotte sat next to her and placed a hand gently on her shoulder.</p>
<p>“Alice?” She asked again. “Can you hear me, honey?”</p>
<p>Alice turned slowly to look at her, and Charlotte noticed how large her pupils had become.</p>
<p>“Hello…” Alice said, smiling mechanically.</p>
<p>Charlotte was fuming; What had they given her? Had the shock treatments finally affected her mind? She swallowed the lump in her throat before saying, “Hi… How are you feeling?”</p>
<p>“Hm… Floaty…” Alice giggled. “They gave me something… <em>very nice</em>…”</p>
<p>Her face slackened for a moment, and her eyes shifted out of focus as she stared at a spot on the door. Charlotte watched her, waiting for her to come back to herself. She didn’t know if Alice was having another vision, or if the medication was making her hallucinate or dissociate. Either way, she knew it was probably best not to disturb her too much. She sat next to her quietly, keeping an ear out for anyone- human or otherwise- coming down the hall.</p>
<p>After an hour or so, Alice looked over at her with slightly more focus than she had before. “Charlotte…”</p>
<p>She looked back at her and smiled. “Hi, Alice.”</p>
<p>“You’re here.”</p>
<p>“I am.”</p>
<p>Alice blinked rapidly, furrowing her brow as she fought off whatever medication was working its way out of her system. “She didn’t get you…”</p>
<p>Charlotte shook her head. “No, she didn’t.”</p>
<p>“She’s still coming for me, though.”</p>
<p>Charlotte bit her lip. “Yes… But I won’t let her get to you.”</p>
<p>Alice nodded, looking blankly at the floor.</p>
<p>“I heard that you tried to save William.” Charlotte said. “You saw Victoria kill him?”</p>
<p>Alice sniffed, and nodded again. “I just don’t want anyone else to die because of me…”</p>
<p>“No one is dying because of <em>you</em>.” Charlotte said sternly. “They’re dying because <em>Victoria</em> is choosing to kill them.”</p>
<p>“To get to <em>me</em>.” Alice insisted. “If I had just stayed quiet and let her kill me when she broke into my room-“</p>
<p>“Alice,” Charlotte scooted closer to her on the cot. “This is <em>not</em> your fault. I will take care of her, and then I will get you out of here- We can go anywhere you want, you and me. You'll forget all about this place after a while.”</p>
<p>Alice wiped a tear from her eye. “Promise?”</p>
<p>“I promise.” Charlotte said, not knowing if she was being honest or not.</p>
<p>Alice winced suddenly. She bit her lip and rubbed her temples, squeezing her eyes shut.</p>
<p>“Are you alright?” Charlotte asked, leaning forward to catch her if she fell over.</p>
<p>“Headache…” She mumbled. “They’ve been getting worse every time they use that… <em>thing</em>… and my visions, they’ve been getting worse, too. I’ve been having so many, it gets difficult to sort through them all…”</p>
<p>“Did you tell the doctors?” Charlotte asked.</p>
<p>“They don’t believe me.” Alice opened her eyes and looked up, tears now freely falling down her cheeks. “They think I’m making it up so that they’ll stop the treatments- I want to go home, I <em>hate</em> it here, I just want to <em>go home</em>…”</p>
<p>She dissolved into silent sobs, and Charlotte couldn’t stop herself; She reached out and pulled Alice into her chest, wrapping her arms around her and holding her while she cried. She was afraid that Alice would feel the hardness of her skin, how cold her embrace was when it should have been warm and inviting- but Alice sank into her, curling against her and crying until she had fallen asleep.</p>
<p>Charlotte stayed that way for a long time, letting Alice sleep soundly against her chest for hours. She watched her the whole time, wondering how long she could hold Victoria off- A day? A week? Would Alice get to turn sixteen? Would the monsters in these walls kill her before the monster outside got the chance?</p>
<p>A spark ignited in the back of Charlotte’s mind; A tempting, errant thought that grew into a full, burning desire deep in her chest… There <em>was</em> one way to make Victoria stop hunting Alice… But could she do it? She hadn’t tasted human blood in so long, she didn’t know if she could do the same as George had done when it was <em>her</em> life on the line.</p>
<p>If she changed Alice, she could not only defend herself against Victoria, but they could <em>outnumber</em> her. Alice’s strength as a newborn would even out any advantage Victoria had over them in skill. Then, after they dealt with her… she’d no longer be alone. Alice had no parents, she had no children… They could be a family, if she wanted to be.</p>
<p>Charlotte ran her fingers gently through Alice’s short hair. Alice curled closer to her, and she smiled. She’d never admitted it to George, but if they’d had a child, she’d hoped it would be a girl. She and her mother had been thick as thieves, and she’d longed to share that bond with a daughter of her own. Alice even had the same dark eyes as she’d had as a human… She could even see a bit of George in her smile.</p>
<p>‘<em>Selfish</em>…’ A voice, quiet but chiding, whispered in her head. She sighed; It was right, of course. That was taking the easy way out. Alice deserved a full, rich life. One where she wasn’t dependent on blood for survival. One where she could age, could have friends, a career, a family of her own… If she could get her out of this place, anyway.</p>
<p>If Charlotte was lucky enough to beat Victoria, she would help her escape- take her far from Jackson, somewhere they’d never heard of her or of what had happened to her family. Charlotte would take care of her until she was grown up, and… then she would move on. It was what was best for Alice. She was too young to be changed into a blood-drinking monster. Charlotte couldn’t condemn her to the same fate she suffered.</p>
<p>Her shift was almost over now. She could see the sky outside beginning to lighten as the sun rose. As carefully as she could, she laid Alice down on the cot. She stared at her for a moment, fighting the desire to tell her goodbye with the knowledge that it was best to let her sleep. As a compromise, she leaned over, and placed a kiss on the top of her head.</p>
<p>“I’ll see you tomorrow.” She whispered.</p>
<p>Out in the hall, she ran to the security office, narrowly avoiding Mildred again; She didn’t seem to be looking for her anymore. She was busy spreading the news about the recent murder to every staff member she could find. Hopefully, she would forget about Charlotte’s shirking of her duties. She retrieved her things from the staff room and left the asylum, but she didn’t return home. Instead, she walked around the building, cut across the graveyard, and stopped once she was in the same clearing where she’d fought Victoria the night before.</p>
<p>Charlotte placed her bag at the base of a tree and dug through it, producing the still stained outfit she’d worn the night before. She changed quickly, putting the clean uniform in the bag with her keys and closing it. She made one lap around the perimeter before the sun rose, and watched from the shadows as more and more graves were dug. She prayed that none of the bodies being tossed inside them were Alice… that she wouldn’t arrive that night to fine an empty room, her name taken off the sign beside the door…</p>
<p>She shook her head; She had to focus. She paced as close as she dared, avoiding the patches of sunlight that broke through the trees. Twice she thought that one of the diggers had seen her, but they hadn’t given her a second glance. The hours dragged on as she waited, hiding in the shadows. She knew that her twenty-four hours were up. Victoria could attack at any moment.</p>
<p>Night finally fell, and Charlotte’s apprehension doubled; Victoria was probably going to toy with her. Attempt to lure her into a false sense of security by staying away as long as she could before she got bored again. Annoyed, she checked her watch; She barely had fifteen minutes to go back inside and start another shift. She darted back to the tree where she had left her things… but they weren’t there.</p>
<p>Charlotte looked around. Yes, it had been <em>this</em> tree, she was sure of it. The diggers hadn’t come out this far, had they? Maybe one of them had been too tired to go inside for the bathroom, had found her bag, and assumed it had been left there by mistake. She rolled her eyes, and cursed herself for being so careless. Her uniform was in that bag. She couldn’t show up to work in what she was wearing now, or Mildred would fire her on the spot.</p>
<p>Before she could decide what to do, she heard it; A twig snapping just a few feet behind her. She dodged to the side right before Victoria’s hands seized the air where her throat had been. Charlotte wheeled to face her, crouching defensively and snarling.</p>
<p>Victoria was standing there, leaning against the tree, with Charlotte’s bag swinging carelessly from one finger. “<em>Lose something</em>?”</p>
<p>Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Very funny. Now give it back.”</p>
<p>“Come and take it from me.” Victoria teased, dropping the bag and curling her index finger twice in her direction.</p>
<p>Charlotte looked for an opening, like she’d been taught- but Victoria was ready for her. Her attack was easily deflected, but Charlotte recovered quickly. She flipped midair and lunged again, changing direction at the last second. She smirked at the look of shock on Victoria’s face as she was flung across the clearing, leaving her forearm in Charlotte’s tight grip.</p>
<p>Victoria grimaced as she stood up, but nodded in a way that could almost be described as pride. “Impressive. You learn fast. May I have my arm back, please?”</p>
<p>“<em>Come and take it from me</em>.” Charlotte mimicked, tossing the arm on the ground and getting ready for Victoria’s attack.</p>
<p>It came quicker than she expected. She dodged the first blow, but Victoria kept coming. She compensated for her missing arm by kicking at her head, her body twisting effortlessly like a trained dancer’s. Still, Charlotte held her own- Dodging, weaving, and countering where she could. It went on for hours, and neither of them showed any signs of tiring. They only stopped once both of them had lost two limbs each.</p>
<p>Victoria balanced herself against a tree on her remaining leg, looking between Charlotte and the body parts on the grass.</p>
<p>“A brief intermission, I think.” She said, raising an eyebrow at Charlotte across the clearing. “Truce? Five minutes?”</p>
<p>Charlotte nodded, picking up her right hand with her left and pressing it against her wrist. She twisted it until it fused, then hobbled over to pick up her left foot.</p>
<p>“Might I have your <em>assistance</em> for a moment?” Victoria asked her. Charlotte looked at her, raising an eyebrow. She saw what she meant, of course; Her leg had been severed at the hip, on the same side as her missing arm. They were both sitting too far for her to reach. Victoria noticed her hesitation, and rolled her eyes. “Have I not proven myself to be a woman of my word? I promise I won’t tear your head off.”</p>
<p>Charlotte had to admit, she did have a point. She sighed and picked up the severed limbs, then carried them over to her and placed them in front of where she was standing.</p>
<p>Victoria smiled, then lifted her short skirt so that the torn ligaments at her hip joint were exposed. She held the fabric a little higher than necessary, just under her breast so her smooth abdomen was sparkling in the sunlight. “<em>Do you mind</em>? I can’t quite <em>reach</em> with only one hand.”</p>
<p>“Put the hand on first, then.” Charlotte pointed out, not sure if she wanted to test just how honorable Victoria’s word <em>really</em> was.</p>
<p>Victoria sighed, letting her skirt drop. “<em>Well</em>, you’re no fun.”</p>
<p>Charlotte watched as Victoria reassembled herself, risking a brief glance away from her up at the sky, where the moon was beginning to disappear, making way for the sun to rise. Charlotte had missed her entire shift. She groaned; Mildred was going to tear her apart. She could probably get away with some story about food poisoning, or an accident at home-</p>
<p>“Worried about your <em>little human job</em>?” Victoria sneered, glaring over at the bag where Charlotte’s uniform was stored.</p>
<p>“<em>Yes</em>, actually.” She snapped, glaring back at her. “Why do you ask?”</p>
<p>“Why do you do it?” Victoria asked, looking incredulously at her, absently flexing her elbow as the joints fused together again.</p>
<p>“Do what?” Charlotte asked, taken aback. “<em>Work</em>?”</p>
<p>“Yes- Why waste your time with trivial human nonsense if you don’t <em>have</em> to? We don’t need sleep, and as for food, well…” She shrugged, smirking. “To each their own, I suppose. Of course, shelter is optional, but you could stay in an abandoned house if you <em>really</em> desired such comforts.”</p>
<p>Charlotte sighed. “I don’t like to be alone… I <em>did</em> live nomadically for a while, but… I like being around people. It makes me feel better.”</p>
<p>“If company is the issue, why not find yourself another coven?” She asked. “Or create one for yourself?”</p>
<p>“I doubt that I would have the restraint necessary for the latter.” Charlotte chuckled darkly. “As for the former… have you ever encountered a coven, or <em>any</em> other vampire, who didn’t drink human blood, other than myself?”</p>
<p>Victoria bit her lip. “No… That would be a deal-breaker for you, I gather?”</p>
<p>Charlotte nodded and crossed her arms over her chest, looking back up at the sky that was growing lighter and lighter by the second. “I… can’t be around that much death.”</p>
<p>Victoria rolled her eyes and pointed behind them to the asylum grounds. “And yet you choose to work <em>here</em>.”</p>
<p>She looked to where Victoria was pointing; The graveyard where countless bodies had been thrown as carelessly as if they were that day’s garbage. Charlotte winced. “That’s different.”</p>
<p>“How so?”</p>
<p>“I’m not watching them be killed- or doing it myself. It’s not like anything could stop humans from killing each other, anyway.”</p>
<p>Victoria scoffed. “You have a good point, there.”</p>
<p>There was silence for a few moments before Victoria skipped forward, and crouched low again. She smiled, her fangs bared. Charlotte mimicked her posture, hissing through her teeth.</p>
<p>“Ready for round two?” Victoria asked, winking.</p>
<p>Charlotte thought quickly; If she were being honest, she didn’t think she could last another round with Victoria. Their first had been a close enough match. If she lost, Alice was done for. She had to find a way to buy herself some time, keep her talking until she came up with a better plan than breaking into Alice’s room and running away with her through the streets in broad daylight.</p>
<p>“Not quite.” She said, straightening up and taking a casual stance by the tree behind her.</p>
<p>Victoria looked confused, but straightened up as well, cocking her head to the side. “Oh?”</p>
<p>“Yes, <em>oh</em>.” Charlotte smiled, trying to seem genuine. “You see, we didn’t quite get to finish our conversation the other night. You did say you would tell me anything I wanted to know about you, but you rushed off before I got the chance- That wasn’t very sportsmanlike, don’t you agree?”</p>
<p>The corner of Victoria’s mouth twitched, and she sat cross legged on the ground, looking up at her expectantly. “I’m an open book- Ask away.”</p>
<p>“Where are you from?” Charlotte asked.</p>
<p>“Dublin.”</p>
<p>“How were <em>you</em> turned?”</p>
<p>Victoria hesitated. Charlotte saw a glint of something like anger behind her darkening eyes. “My uncle changed me.”</p>
<p>“Did you have other family?”</p>
<p>“Yes… A brother, and two sisters. My father raised us alone after our mother died giving birth to the twins.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry to hear that. Truly.”</p>
<p>Victoria shrugged. “That’s kind of you, but I barely remember her. I was too young, and human memories get so blurry over time.”</p>
<p>“Your uncle, the one who changed you,” Charlotte said. “Was he your mother’s brother, or your father’s?”</p>
<p>“My mother’s…” Victoria’s eyes flashed dangerously again. “He moved in with us shortly after my mother died.”</p>
<p>“He was still human at the time?”</p>
<p>Victoria didn’t answer for a moment, and when she finally spoke, her voice was very carefully measured. “Yes… But <em>human</em> is a very loose definition of him to be honest.”</p>
<p>Charlotte raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”</p>
<p>Silenced followed again. Victoria stared at the ground, lost in a memory that had apparently not faded as completely as the others had. Charlotte hesitated, then walked slowly forward and sat on the ground in front of Victoria.</p>
<p>“You can tell me…” She said. “I told you about my husband. Besides, who am I going to tell?”</p>
<p>Victoria considered her, then sighed and said, “It’s not a pretty story, you know- Are you sure you want to waste time on it?”</p>
<p>“Know thine enemy, right?” Charlotte shrugged, grinning.</p>
<p>Victoria smirked. “<em>Right</em>.”</p>
<p>She waited as Victoria gathered her thoughts, in the back of her mind planning various escape routes through the tunnels under the asylum. She figured that she could undo her barriers fairly quickly, if she had a decent enough head start.</p>
<p>“He moved in when I was six.” Victoria began. “My father needed to work, and my uncle had fallen on some hard times after the death of his own wife. My father invited him to live with us.”</p>
<p>She spoke with a sneer on her face when she mentioned him. Charlotte didn’t interrupt.</p>
<p>“It was fine, at first. Father would leave for work in the fields, and leave us with him… For the most part he left us all alone. Until he would drink… Then, he’d take all of his grief and anger out on us. Mostly me and my brother. We were the oldest. The girls were barely a year old. He never laid hands on them, not if I were there to take the blow instead.”</p>
<p>Charlotte stared at her, her escape plans now completely forgotten.</p>
<p>“My brother wanted me to tell our father what was happening, but I didn’t let him.” She said, looking guilty. “When he got older I started to convince father that he was ready to work the fields with him… Finn didn’t want to leave me there with my uncle alone, but I made him go. With him gone, it would only be <em>me</em> he was hitting. I kept Saoirse and Sinead away from him as much as I could… especially when his interests in me started to become more… <em>intimate</em>. When I was around sixteen.</p>
<p>“It went on for years,” She continued, ignoring Charlotte’s look of horror. “He kept me at home, insisting to my father that they needed me there now that they were getting on in age. I was forced to endure it, until finally he disappeared one night after he’d stumbled off into the woods. Father searched for weeks, but he never found him. I thought that I was <em>finally</em> free of him. My sisters had both made respectable marriages, my brother had a family of his own, and I was free to do whatever I wished… Until he came back for me, a few years later.</p>
<p>“I was living with my fiancé… She was beautiful.” Victoria’s eyes softened. “We had a small cottage on the outskirts of town, not far from where my brother’s family lived. He had come by for a visit, just the two of us.”</p>
<p>Victoria shuddered at the memory, then sighed and kept talking. “I thank the stars every night that my fiancé wasn’t there… My uncle had been hunting in the area ever since his disappearance, always keeping an eye on me. He burst through the door and attacked… Finn tried to hold him off, but he was killed. Then, my uncle bit me. He took me into the woods and waited as I screamed. He told me that I would be better, stronger, that we would be together forever- the fool.”</p>
<p>Charlotte watched as Victoria straightened up, her expression almost dreamlike. When she spoke again, she was almost purring in satisfaction.</p>
<p>“As soon as the pain ended,” She said. “I attacked. He tried to fend me off, but I was too strong for him. He ran. I chased him for <em>weeks</em>, never stopping, never letting him pause for a moment’s rest, never letting him feed. When he finally gave up, I tore him apart- I made him <em>watch</em> as I burned him, <em>piece by piece</em>, saving his head for last… I’ll cherish the look in his eyes for the rest of time.”</p>
<p>“<em>Good</em>.” Charlotte said.</p>
<p>Victoria chuckled. “You don’t disapprove? I thought you might not like that story very much.”</p>
<p>“He deserved everything you gave him.” Charlotte grinned against her will. “If there <em>is</em> a hell, may he rot there.”</p>
<p>Victoria looked into her eyes, folding her hands in her lap. “Do you have any other questions for me? Or shall we proceed?”</p>
<p>Charlotte tried to think of something else to ask her- <em>anything</em> that would give her more time to think of how to save Alice… but she could think of nothing. The sun was nearly overhead now. She doubted that she could keep Victoria talking for the rest of the day. She doubted that their second match would be as close as their first. She would lose, she knew that. Victoria was ancient, determined, and relentless. She’d never let either of them go.</p>
<p>“Just one question… more of a favor, really.” Charlotte sighed.</p>
<p>Victoria raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”</p>
<p>“Would you give me one more night?” She asked. “I’m not going to beat you, we both know it… The least you could do is let me say goodbye to her before you kill us both.”</p>
<p>Victoria rolled her eyes and hopped lightly onto her bare feet. “God, you are <em>so</em> sentimental. Are you <em>really</em> that nostalgic for your human life that this one insignificant girl matters <em>that</em> much to you?”</p>
<p>Charlotte glared. “You might say that.”</p>
<p>Victoria considered her, biting her lip and looking up at the bright blue sky. Finally, she sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Fine- <em>One</em> more night. Then, I don’t care what you say, or how much I may be growing to like you, I <em>will</em> go after the girl, and I will not hold back for your benefit any longer- No more training sessions. You win, or you die.”</p>
<p>Charlotte blinked. “You <em>like</em> me?”</p>
<p>Victoria grinned and winked. “Only a <em>little</em>- Don’t flatter yourself too much, sweetheart.”</p>
<p>With that, she darted away, away from the asylum grounds. Charlotte waited. When she was sure that Victoria was gone, she grabbed her bag and opened it. She sighed in relief when she saw that her uniform was still there, as were her apartment keys. She wanted to go back and use the telephone in her room to call Mildred, give her an excuse as to why she hadn’t shown up last night- but she wasn’t entirely sure that she could trust Victoria. She had been honorable so far, but Charlotte had seen how black her eyes had gotten; She couldn’t risk Victoria getting impatient.</p>
<p>She looked back up at the sky. The sun was directly overhead, exactly noon. Biting her lip, Charlotte looked across the bright graveyard to where the asylum- and shade- were just out of her reach. She’d have to wait for nightfall, show up for her next shift as scheduled, and <em>beg</em> Mildred to let her keep her job. If she were fired, she wouldn’t be able to get down to Alice’s room to fill her in on what was going on, and figure out a plan to get her out.</p>
<p>It was <em>agony</em> to stand there for hours, waiting for the sun to set, not knowing if she were going to be able to protect Alice. When it was finally dark enough, she changed into her uniform, and walked as fast as she dared around the grounds and through the front door.</p>
<p>When she opened the staff room door, Mildred was sitting at the table, reading that day’s paper. She looked up when Charlotte entered, and her eyes went wide for a moment before they narrowed in anger.</p>
<p>“Oh, look who decided to grace us with their presence!” Mildred sneered, letting the paper fall to the table as she stood, placing her hands on her hips. “How lovely!”</p>
<p>Charlotte did her best to keep her face apologetic. “I’m <em>so sorry</em>, Ms. Bates, I would have called, but the phone at the apartment wasn’t working- My stomach got a little bit upset again, but I'm alright now. I apologize for leaving you short-handed.”</p>
<p>Mildred huffed. “You need to start watching what you eat, dear- Stomach problems aside, it may do you some good in other… <em>areas</em>.”</p>
<p>Charlotte bit back her retort, and nodded.</p>
<p>“Well, get to work, I suppose.” Mildred waved a hand, dismissing her as she sat back down and shook the newspaper out flat again. “Molly’s doing the West wing today- You handle the East.”</p>
<p>Charlotte left the staff room, and headed immediately for the security office. She only had to endure one more night of Mildred’s incessant squawking, then she’d be rid of her, one way or the other. Either Victoria would kill her, or she and Alice would flee, never to be seen again.</p>
<p>God only knows what rumors Mildred might spread once she was gone- probably blame her for Will’s murder, and the slaughter of Alice’s parents, so that she could ‘<em>steal</em>’ Alice for herself. Not that she’d blame her; That would be what it looked like to an outsider. No one else knew about Victoria. Charlotte herself could just as easily be the ‘<em>woman</em>’ that Alice had been warning was going to kill her parents… She had left early on the night the Brandon’s were killed. She wasn’t on shift when Will’s neck was snapped. If that weren’t enough, anyone’s suspicions would certainly be confirmed when she and Alice disappeared on the same night.</p>
<p>She sighed and shook her head; No sense worrying about that. It was unavoidable. As long as they went far enough, they should escape… <em>if</em> she managed to beat Victoria.</p>
<p>Frank was sitting at his desk in the office, sipping his coffee and squinting down at the files on his desk. Charlotte bit her lip, hesitated for a fraction of a second, then opened the door. Frank jumped and looked up, relaxing when he saw who it was.</p>
<p>“Ah, Charlotte.” He said, blinking lazily and leaning back in his chair. “’Ello… What can I help you with this evenin’?”</p>
<p>“I heard a noise down in the basement…” She lied. “Would you check it out for me? It may just be a rat, but I <em>hate</em> rats.”</p>
<p>She shuddered, hoping that it was convincing enough. Frank looked her up and down, then down at his coffee cup, which Charlotte was sure contained more than cream and sugar.</p>
<p>“Alright, then.” He stood up, grabbing his flashlight from the table. “You stay ‘ere- I’ll be back in a few. If Bob comes back, tell him where I went.”</p>
<p>Charlotte nodded, then waited until she heard his footsteps descend the stairs before she fished the keys out of the drawer, removed Alice’s key, and went down to her room.</p>
<p>Alice was awake, waiting for her. She was sitting on the cot with her knees folded to her chest, with her head resting on her arms. Her eyes were blank, but she smiled when Charlotte sat next to her.</p>
<p>“Hi.” Alice said.</p>
<p>“Hi.” Charlotte smiled. “Listen… I need to-“</p>
<p>“It’s okay.” Alice interrupted. “I already know.”</p>
<p>Charlotte chuckled. Of course she did. “So, you know my plan, then?”</p>
<p>Alice’s brow furrowed. “Not <em>exactly</em>… I know that you plan to get me out, but there are two possible outcomes that I’ve been seeing over and over again…”</p>
<p>Charlotte swallowed reflexively. “What are they?”</p>
<p>“In one of them…” Alice said, watching her carefully. “We both die. Victoria catches up to us, and kills us both.”</p>
<p>Charlotte nodded, her heart sinking. “And the other?”</p>
<p>Alice hesitated.</p>
<p>“What is it?”</p>
<p>“In the other…” She said slowly. “I’m… like you.”</p>
<p>Charlotte stared at her. “Like me?”</p>
<p>Alice nodded, still watching her with her big, dark eyes. “I think… if you change me… she’ll leave us alone. She might give up.”</p>
<p>“<em>Might</em>?”</p>
<p>Alice grimaced. “I can’t see <em>everything</em>… I can’t see what <em>she’ll</em> decide until <em>you</em> decide on a course of action… but the future that I saw, if you change me… <em>I want that</em>.”</p>
<p>Charlotte looked away, biting her lip. “No, you don’t… You don’t want to be this, Alice.”</p>
<p>“We don’t have a choice.” Alice shrugged, smiling at her reassuringly and reaching out a hand to touch hers. “Besides, once you change me, you and I can find the rest of our family.”</p>
<p>Charlotte whipped her head back to stare at her. “What do you mean, the <em>rest</em> of our family?”</p>
<p>Alice smiled. “I saw it earlier… It was just a flash, but it was clearer than most of my visions have been since I came here. It’s the two of us, a blonde man, and a red-haired boy who looks a little older than me… We’re all sitting in a house, the man has his arm around your shoulder, and you’re watching me and the boy play chess by the fire… They have gold eyes, like we do. If we manage to escape from Victoria… I think that we’re supposed to find them.”</p>
<p>Charlotte stared at her, reeling. All this time, she had wanted a family of her own. After losing George, she never thought that future would be possible for her again… Now here was Alice, telling her that it was- that she wanted to be a part of that family herself, even if it meant no longer being human, frozen forever at fifteen…</p>
<p>“It’s <em>okay</em>.” Alice assured her, scooting closer to her on the cot and taking Charlotte’s cold hand in both of hers. “I <em>want</em> that future, Charlotte… I love my sister, but my parents… I don’t think they ever <em>really</em> loved me… All my mother ever did was yell at me for things I hadn't done, and my father was too busy with work to pay attention to any of us, really. The future I saw with you… it felt more like a family than any memory I had with mine.”</p>
<p>“What about the blonde boy? The one in your drawing?” Charlotte asked, smiling slightly. “Is <em>he</em> there too?”</p>
<p>Alice shook her head. “No… But I’ll find him eventually. I know I will.”</p>
<p>Charlotte bit her lip, unsure of what to do or say. If Alice was right- which she probably was, as always- her only chance to save them both would be to change her… But she hadn’t tasted human blood in so long… There was a very good change that she might accidentally <em>kill</em> her instead. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if that happened. George had been so much stronger than her- If <em>he</em> were still here, he could do it for her… But he wasn’t here. She was on her own.</p>
<p>“I…” Charlotte hesitated. “I have to try to get you out some other way first- I’m <em>not</em> going to condemn you to this fate if there’s another way. I will only change you if we have no other option.”</p>
<p>Alice sighed. “There <em>is</em> no other option. That’s what I’ve been telling you- It’s <em>meant</em> to be this way.”</p>
<p>Charlotte shook her head. “No- I <em>can’t</em>, sweetheart, I don’t know if I’ll be able to. I could kill you.”</p>
<p>“You won’t.” Alice said simply. “I trust you.”</p>
<p>Charlotte sighed. “Just… Give me a few hours to think of something else, okay? I <em>promise</em>, I’ll have us both out of here by morning… Get some sleep for now.”</p>
<p>Alice nodded, yawning and laying down on the cot. Charlotte covered her with the thin scratchy blanket, and kissed the top of her head. As she closed the door behind her, she heard Alice start snoring lightly.</p>
<p>She went back to the security office, to see if Frank had returned from the goose chase she had sent him on. The office was empty. Bob had not come back from patrol either. She supposed they were off somewhere sneaking a cigarette near one of the exits. She kept Alice’s key in her pocket, and went off to clean a few things while she thought of a plan.</p>
<p>As she scrubbed the floors and did the dishes in the dining hall, she pictured Alice’s vision; The blonde man and the red haired boy that would complete their family… but what <em>was</em> this man to her? <em>Surely</em> she could never love anyone the way she’d loved George. He’d completed her, truly been her other half… Perhaps the man was simply a friend, a close one. A like-minded person who, like her, abstained from human blood. It would be nice, she thought, if it were to come to pass…</p>
<p>Charlotte cleaned until her shift was almost finished. A panic began to rise in her chest as she ran out of both time and options. She couldn’t think of a way to get Alice out of here without anyone seeing her. She was sure that Victoria was expecting her to try and break Alice out tonight, before their truce was over. She would be scanning the perimeter, and would be after them immediately. Still, there had to be something she wasn’t considering- some advantage that she hadn’t thought of yet.</p>
<p>The tunnels seemed like her best option. She could lead Alice through them and out the exit she had blocked to keep Victoria out. It would be risky, but she would have to try. Praying that Frank and Bob were back in the office, she made her way back down to the basement, and into the maze of concrete walls that made up the labyrinth beneath the asylum.</p>
<p>She expected to pass someone as she made her way to the exit she had blocked- but she found no one. No other maids using the tunnels as a shortcut to avoid Mildred’s watchful eye, no Frank or Bob sneaking cigarettes. No footsteps echoed aside from hers. She listened hard, but could hear nothing either in the tunnels, or the floor above. Her eyes narrowed; It was nearing shift change. She should hear scuffling footsteps, muffled voices…</p>
<p>The exit was just at the end of the corridor she’d just entered… but something was wrong. Charlotte froze. The broken furniture that she had piled up against the door had been moved. It was lined up along the walls, leaving a thin path to the open door… <em>where a body was lying on the ground</em>.</p>
<p>Frank was staring blankly at the dark ceiling above him, his mouth slack. Blood was stained on his uniform, and her throat burned as the smell hit her nose. She gritted her teeth and glanced around her, looking for Victoria… and then the screaming started. Her heart sank to the floor- Victoria was already in the main building. She was going to slaughter anyone who got between her and Alice.</p>
<p>Charlotte cursed, spared one last sympathetic glance at Frank, then darted back through the tunnels. She passed other human employees who were fleeing from the massacre above. They looked even more frightened as she sped past them, at a speed they themselves were incapable of.</p>
<p>“Run!” Charlotte called behind her back as she ran. “The West exit! <em>Quickly</em>!”</p>
<p>The screams from above were becoming louder, more frantic. When she arrived at the top of the steps and darted into the entryway, she had to hold her breath as the smell of fresher blood washed over her. Already, five bodies were lying on the ground. Three of them were unfamiliar to her, people who had worked on the day shift… but next to them, were the bodies of Bob, and Dierdre.</p>
<p>“No! Please! <em>AHHHHHH</em>!” Charlotte heard, and turned just in time to see Victoria sink her fangs into Mildred’s throat. Pinned against the wall by Victoria, she saw Charlotte standing there, and reached out to her for help. It was too late for her, Charlotte knew that. Still, as much as she hated the woman, the look of terror in her bright eyes tore at her as she turned away. If it was a choice between Mildred or Alice, she had to choose Alice. She needed to act <em>now</em>, while Victoria was distracted by the carnage she was causing.</p>
<p>Charlotte sped to Alice’s room, past the other locked doors along the hall, where other patients were panicking, asking each other what was happening. Alice was peering out of the small window in her door, and sighed in relief when Charlotte appeared in front of her.</p>
<p>“She’s here, isn’t she?” She asked, looking above her to where the screams were still echoing through the floor above.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Charlotte unlocked her door, and Alice stepped out. “We have to go, <em>now</em>.”</p>
<p>“Wait.” Alice stood there, her arms crossed, looking up at Charlotte with a fierce determination.</p>
<p>“We can’t wait, we have to <em>go</em>.” Charlotte said, reaching her arms out to pick Alice up, but she stepped back.</p>
<p>“You have to change me first.”</p>
<p>Charlotte groaned. “Alice, we talked about this-”</p>
<p>“Yes, we <em>did</em>.” She agreed. “I told you, if you keep me human, you’ll fail, and we’ll both die. This is the <em>only</em> way.”</p>
<p>“Alice, we don’t have <em>time</em>.” Charlotte insisted, glancing up at the ceiling where the screams of the trapped workers and patients were still echoing down to them.</p>
<p>“Then you should do it quickly.” Alice told her, stepping forward and pulling the collar of her gown from her neck.</p>
<p>Charlotte swallowed; Alice’s scent was intoxicating. “I could kill you...”</p>
<p>“<em>So</em>?” Alice shrugged, smiling up at her reassuringly. “I’ll die either way. If it’s inevitable, I’d rather it be <em>you</em> than her… I don’t want to give her the satisfaction.”</p>
<p>Charlotte chuckled. She took a deep breath, steadying herself before stepping closer to Alice and cupping her face in her cold hands. “That’s very brave of you… You should know, the transformation is… <em>painful</em>. Like someone’s holding fire to your skin… Are you <em>sure</em>?”</p>
<p>Alice bit her lip, then nodded. “<em>Do it</em>.”</p>
<p>Alice took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. Charlotte did the same, before she leaned in, and sank her fangs into Alice’s neck.</p>
<p>The taste was <em>incredible</em>- better than she remembered. She had taken several gulps before she registered Alice’s frail hands clawing at her face, and she remembered <em>who’s</em> blood she was tasting. Gasping, she released her hold on Alice, and watched on guiltily as she screamed, clutching the mark where the venom was now spreading, burning her from the inside out.</p>
<p>A loud crash from the stairwell snapped her to her senses. She scooped Alice carefully into her arms, trying to hold her as gently as she could manage while she squirmed in pain, trying not to scream.</p>
<p>“I’ve got you.” Charlotte told her, darting through the halls and down into the tunnels. “It’s going to be okay- We’re going to get out of here, and find our family… Then, you can forget any this ever happened. It will all be just a bad dream.”</p>
<p>Through her pain, Alice looked up at her, sniffing and trying to control her tears. “Promise?”</p>
<p>“I promise.”</p>
<p>Charlotte ran through the tunnels as fast as she could. She passed the few employees who had escaped Victoria, knowing that she would kill them as soon as they saw her. Her attempts to save them had been futile. She passed over Frank’s lifeless body, and out the door, but came to a sudden halt when she saw that it was no longer night; The sky was blue, the sun rising over the tops of the buildings. They were trapped. Even if they escaped Victoria, they would be seen fleeing by countless humans. Even <em>if</em>, by some <em>miracle</em>, she was able to outrun or defeat Victoria, the Volturi would eventually track them down. The one called Demetri already had her scent from their previous encounter.</p>
<p>Devastated, she looked down at Alice, still writhing in her arms. As she stared down at the girl who had settled herself so completely in her heart, her despair vanished, washed away and replaced by a fierce determination that burned through her hotter than the venom that had made her immortal; No one was taking her child from her. <em>No one</em>. Not <em>Victoria</em>, not the cloaked <em>cunts</em> that had taken her husband, <em>no one</em>. She would not let it happen.</p>
<p>She knew that Victoria was right behind her. She needed to find some way to hold her off, to slow her down. She looked left, where the thin tree line around the graveyard led to the open fields between cities, then right, to the bustling city streets. Seized by a recklessness she didn’t know she possessed, she ran right, in full view of the human crowd.</p>
<p>Some people gasped. Some of them screamed. Others just stared at her, transfixed, as she sped past them, the sunlight bouncing off of her dazzling skin. Victoria may be desperate, but not as desperate as she was. Victoria would have to take time finding another way around. Charlotte almost laughed in hysterics as she wove her way through the few cars on the streets, a few of whom’s occupants honked angrily.</p>
<p>She ran with Alice as far North as she could, sticking to the city streets until she had left Jackson and was running through the countryside. She didn’t stop. She kept running through the day, into the night until she had passed through Arkansas and into Missouri. When Alice’s screams grew louder, she knew that her transformation was nearing an end. She winced, remembering how the pain of the transformation had worsened just before it ended for her. She stopped, setting Alice down in a clearing in the middle of a forest.</p>
<p>“It’s almost over.” She said, running her fingers through Alice’s short hair. “It only takes a day…”</p>
<p>Alice grit her teeth, and nodded. Charlotte smiled down at her, then reached up for the clasp of the necklace she always wore tucked under her clothes; A golden six-pointed star.</p>
<p>“Here.” Charlotte said, reaching out and securing the necklace around Alice’s own neck. “My mother gave me that when I turned sixteen… her mother gave it to her on her sixteenth birthday as well. It’s yours now.”</p>
<p>Alice smiled, but her brow furrowed in confusion. “Why are we stopping? She's going to catch up...“</p>
<p>“I have to face her sooner or later.” Charlotte said gently, stroking the hair away from Alice's face. “Besides, she may let us live… you said so yourself.”</p>
<p>Alice tried to answer, but had to bite down on her fist to stifle a particularly loud cry. Charlotte held her to her chest, stroking her hair and rocking gently back and forth. They stayed there for a few minutes, waiting.</p>
<p>Finally, Charlotte heard a rustling in the trees in the direction they’d come from. She sighed, and placed Alice gently back on the ground before turning to face Victoria.</p>
<p>When she emerged from the trees, her crimson eyes were shining with victory- but they shifted to a fiery rage when she saw Alice on the ground behind her, the wound in her neck clearly visible.</p>
<p>“You filthy little <em>cheater</em>, Charlotte.” She spat, glaring up at her from across the clearing.</p>
<p>“You gave me no option.” Charlotte told her, stepping to the right so that she blocked Alice from view. “Her blood has no more appeal to you, I’m sure- my venom will have completely tainted it by now. You must smell it from here.”</p>
<p>“Yes, I <em>do</em>, thank you <em>very</em> much.” Victoria rolled her eyes, sighing deeply before fixing Charlotte with a playful grin. “Honestly, I’m impressed- I didn’t think you had it in you to change her. I mean, you witnessed for yourself how abhorrent my own self-control is- although, I never really <em>did</em> try too hard at it before.”</p>
<p>Charlotte bristled. “Tell me- how many people did you kill before you finally left?”</p>
<p>Victoria laughed, and the sound chilled Charlotte to the bone; It was not her usual, childlike laughter. It was lower, and much more sinister than she remembered. “I lost count somewhere after thirty. I must say, I haven’t had that much fun in <em>decades</em>. I didn’t think you’d have the guts to leave the asylum during daylight- it took me a while to realize you had gone.”</p>
<p>“So now what will you do, now that you have us?” Charlotte asked. “I’m not going to stand aside for you, Victoria. You are <em>not</em> killing her.”</p>
<p>Victoria grinned. “No, that ship has sailed, I think… <em>You</em>, however, spoiled my fun. I can’t allow that to stand, it would be <em>terrible</em> for my reputation, you know.”</p>
<p>“Leave us <em>alone</em>!” Alice called from the ground, her voice fiercer than Charlotte was expecting. She looked down to see Alice leaning on one elbow, glaring daggers at Victoria. “We didn’t do anything to you!”</p>
<p>Victoria looked amused. “No, you didn’t, little one. But that hardly matters. You were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. It's nothing personal.”</p>
<p>Charlotte snarled, crouching protectively in front of Alice. “Last chance, Victoria- Leave, <em>now</em>. We don’t have to fight.”</p>
<p>“Oh, but you see,” Victoria crooned, leaning forward into a crouch of her own. “I really, <em>really</em> want to.”</p>
<p>She lunged. Charlotte focused intently on remembering every second of Victoria’s training as she dodged, looking for an opening to attack. She stayed on the defensive as long as she could, feeling the tips of Victoria’s clawed fingers graze her arm as she just barely evaded her grasp. Once, Victoria tried to lunge for Alice- but Charlotte grabbed her ankle and flung her into the trees. Charlotte didn’t give her a chance to recover. She darted over to where Victoria was getting to her feet, and made a grab for her throat, growling at her with her fangs bared.</p>
<p>Victoria was too quick for her. She dodged, gripped Charlotte’s left arm, and sank her fangs into her shoulder, tearing it off at the joint. Charlotte cried out in pain at the same time as Alice cried her name, still writhing on the forest floor. The sound gave her the strength to push through the pain, turning again to attack as Victoria threw her arm out of her reach.</p>
<p>“Give up, <em>Lottie</em>.” Victoria said, shifting from side to side as she waited for Charlotte’s next attack.</p>
<p>Charlotte sneered. “Never!”</p>
<p>She lunged, and again Victoria was ready for her. She tore Charlotte’s other arm off, then finished with a swift kick to her lower back. Charlotte felt her spine break, and her legs buckled. She cursed and fell to the ground, unable to bring herself to a fighting position, craning her neck desperately to see where Alice was still curled on the ground, writhing as the of her transformation ended.</p>
<p>“<em>There</em>.” Victoria skipped over to kneel by her side, tilting her red haired head to the side and looking back and forth between Alice and Charlotte. “All this fuss over one human… Sad, really.”</p>
<p>“<em>No</em>!” Alice screamed, reaching out for Charlotte across the field, tears pouring from her eyes, which had begun to turn crimson around the edges.</p>
<p>Victoria laughed at her. “You wait your turn, girl.”</p>
<p>At these words, all will to fight vanished from Charlotte’s body. She could think of only one thing she could do. She looked up at Victoria, and said, “Please… <em>Please</em> just let her live. Do what you want with me, kill me in whatever horrible ways you wish, I don’t care, but <em>please</em>… not Alice, I’m <em>begging</em> you.”</p>
<p>Victoria smirked. “Begging doesn’t really suit you, darling.”</p>
<p>“<em>Please</em>…” Charlotte said again, all other words lost to her.</p>
<p>Victoria sighed, looking back and forth between Charlotte and Alice, who was attempting to crawl towards them through her agony, still reaching out for Charlotte and glaring furiously at Victoria. Suddenly, Victoria’s expression changed; Her mouth widened into a smile, her crimson eyes glinted with mischief.</p>
<p>“Perhaps I <em>will</em> leave her alone,” She said slowly. Charlotte had only a moment of relief before she spoke again. “Completely, <em>utterly</em> <em>alone</em>... It would be incredibly entertaining, seeing the kind of monster she becomes without your influence… I wonder, how many people do you think she’ll kill in her first year? I think the Volturi will catch wind of her in, oh, a few months? After all, there was that unfortunate incident at that asylum she escaped from, all those humans dead… Someone will have to take the blame, don’t you think?”</p>
<p>Charlotte’s eyes widened in horror. "No! You'll be abandoning a newborn, the Volturi-"</p>
<p>"She's not <em>my</em> newborn." Victoria grinned. "The crime is not mine- <em>I</em> will be blameless."</p>
<p>She stood, taking a deep, satisfied breath, looking back and forth between them again.</p>
<p>"It’s your lucky day, little girl.” She crooned down to Alice. “You get to live another day- for now.”</p>
<p>Alice was panting, gritting her teeth in pain, but still, she managed one last glare up at Victoria. The hatred in her eyes made Charlotte proud. “When I… am immortal… I am going… to <em>hunt you down</em>… and <em>kill</em> you…”</p>
<p>Victoria cackled as Alice cried out again as the venom flared inside her. “Oh, my <em>dear</em> child, I hope you <em>do</em>.”</p>
<p>Charlotte waited helplessly as Victoria pulled her torso into an upright position, fixing her eyes on Alice for one last time as Victoria’s hands gripped either side of her head.</p>
<p>“NO!” Alice screamed again, still reaching out for her in vain. “<em>Mom</em>!”</p>
<p>Charlotte smiled. “I love you, Alice. I’m so-“</p>
<p>She heard a sharp crack, and she saw Alice lose consciousness just as her own vision went black.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Alice… I love you, Alice…</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Alice…</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Alice…</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Alice, are ya sure about this?” He asked again, coming to a halt beside her at the top of the cliff. He pushed his dirty blonde hair out of his golden eyes and looking nervous. “Ya know I trust you an’ all, but…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’ll be fine, Jasper.” She told him, taking hold of his arm and pointing down at the valley below, where a large white house was nestled, far from the rest of the town. “The rest of our family is right down there.”</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She gasped, and jolted into a sitting position. The first thing that she noticed was that it was <em>bright</em>. The birds were chirping, and the sun was warm on her skin. Her skin was reflecting the light, and she twisted her arm in the rays, admiring the shifting colors. She bit her lip and stared at it for some time; Had her skin <em>always</em> done that? She supposed it must have. She couldn’t remember it ever not doing that, but…</p>
<p>She narrowed her eyes, and let her arm fall, staring off into the trees with her eyes narrowed. Come to think of it… she couldn’t remember… <em>anything</em>. She looked around the clearing, and wondered how she had gotten there. Her attention was gripped by pile of ash, a few feet to her right. She stood up and darted over to it; It was still smoking. She leaned forward and sniffed, then wrinkled her nose and backed away. It smelled… well, she didn’t know <em>what</em> it smelled like. She had nothing to compare it to. She just knew that it smelled <em>bad</em>; Sickly sweet and putrid.</p>
<p>Still, something about the ash pile made her… <em>sad, </em>somehow. She stared at it for a while, trying to remember why that could be. It was a few minutes before she realized that she was crying, the tears falling from her cheeks onto the grass. She lifted her hand to wipe them away, but it was closed around a golden chain on her neck. She looked down at it; At the end of it was a pendant. A star with six points. She didn’t know where she had gotten it, but it somehow made the sad feeling a little more bearable, like the two were connected... She stared at it for a while before tucking it safely back under her clothes, then looked around.</p>
<p>The clearing was empty, as far as she could tell. She stood there, trying her hardest to remember who she was. Her name was Alice, of <em>that</em> much she was certain. The young man in her head had told her that much. But where was he? <em>Jasper</em>, she thought, the name warming her from the inside. She smiled; She wanted to <em>find him</em>, now… But where to start?</p>
<p>Alice stood, and looked down at the ash pile again. She bit her lip and then- for a reason she didn’t quite understand- knelt beside it and said, “<em>I love you, too</em>…”</p>
<p>She didn’t know <em>why</em> she said it… Only that it felt <em>right</em>. She wiped the last tear from the corner of her eye, and ran off to find the mysterious boy in her head.</p>
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